9 TYPES of CARNIVORE PLANTS: names and photos

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More and more people are encouraged to have carnivorous plants at home. These species, which are characterized by feeding on insects and other small beings to obtain nitrogen, are very varied and of many types, and are highly appreciated for their exotic appearance.

In this Green Ecologist article we leave you a list with the names of 9 types of carnivorous plants most common, their main characteristics and photos.

Types of carnivorous plants - list of names and examples

If you were wondering what are the types of carnivorous plants that exist, pay attention to their classification according to the type of trap they have to catch their prey:

• Carnivorous plants that use the folding of the leaves.
• Carnivorous plants that use the sticky hair technique.
• Carnivorous plants that have pitcher-shaped leaves with liquid inside.

Now, we show you some examples of types of carnivorous plants and in the next sections we will see species within these types and their characteristics with photos.

• Sarracenia
• Sundew
• Nepenthes
• Cephalotus follicularis
• Aldrovanda vesiculosa
• Dionaea muscipula or Venus flytrap
• Darlingtonia californica
• Drosophyllum lusitanicum
• Pinguicula grandiflora

Sarracenia

The Sarracenias They are carnivorous plants native to North America. They have a characteristic tube shape, at the end of which the nectar that attracts insects. Upon entering the tubular-shaped plant, insects can no longer get out and are digested when trapped. Some of its species are:

• Sarracenia purpurea
• Sarracenia leucophylla
• Sarracenia flava

Sundew

Also know as Sun dew, this genus of carnivorous plants is one of the most numerous, and they stand out for their way of hunting: they generate a few drops of a sticky liquid and rich in sugars that makes insects that come to feed on it stick to it. At that moment, the plant reacts by closing on the trapped insects, and ends up killing them by suffocation or exhaustion. In this other post we tell you more about How carnivorous plants eat.

Between the carnivorous plant species Drosera are known:

• Sundew capensis
• Sundew rotundifolia
• Sundew spatulata
• Sundew binata
• Drosera aliciae

Nepenthes

The Nepenthes, calls too pitcher plants or monkey cups, They are native to tropical regions and are very striking for their beautiful pitcher traps, filled with a syrupy liquid that attracts insects. One of its common names comes from the fact that monkeys have sometimes been seen drinking rainwater from their traps. In addition, and especially in the wild, some grow so much that they are known as giant carnivorous plants, although there are other large species that are rarer.

Some species are:

• Nepenthes ventricosa
• Nepenthes bicalcarata
• Nepenthes rajah
• Nepenthes alata
• Nepenthes ventrata
• Nepenthes attenboroughii

Cephalotus follicularis

Is small carnivorous plant It has its origin in Australia and it feeds through cups or jars that its leaves form, in which insects drown. It is the only species among the various carnivorous plants in which the leaves and traps are totally differentiated.

Aldrovanda vesiculosa

Also called Water wheel, this is one aquatic carnivorous plant that we can find floating in still waters. Its small traps are located at the end of each leaf, which when touched close and trap the small prey to feed.

Image: BugWoodCloud

Dionaea muscipula or Venus flytrap

Without a doubt, this is one of the names of carnivorous plants best known. The Venus flytrap It is one of the most famous and represented throughout the world. Their peculiar traps, which resemble jaws surrounded by teeth, close when they detect that an insect or other small animal, such as an amphibian or a small mammal, has landed on them, thus starting their digestive process.

Here you can see a guide on Caring for the Venus flytrap and also this video about it.

Darlingtonia californica

The Darlingtonia or cobra plant, gets its popular name from its snake look standing up and sticking his tongue out, exactly like a cobra. Its tubular leaves form jars that point outwards and act as traps, since inside these the insects are trapped and are digested in a short time.

Drosophyllum lusitanicum

The Drosophyllum lusitanicum or Flytrap is the only one of its kind. It is from drier climates than most carnivorous plants and has a reputation for being difficult to grow. Its sticky leaves are covered in mucilage and by sticking to them the insects end up being digested.

Pinguicula grandiflora

This insectivorous herb is also known by the names of water violet, large-flowered grease, tuna or fountain flower. It inhabits temperate climates, and stands out above all for its large purple flower, much larger than usual in other plants of its characteristics. It doesn't really have a trap, but its sticky leaves sometimes catch small insects, on which it feeds.

Caring for carnivorous plants

Most carnivorous plants require a lot of care to be able to have them at home or in the garden properly. These are some key points of the care of carnivorous plants:

• Many of them are tropical plants, and require that their substrate be permanently moist and their leaves dusted with water almost daily.
• There are also many that require substrates with a high percentage of moss, precisely due to those humid and tropical environments from which they come. This is a point that should not be overlooked, and it is very likely that your carnivorous plant will end up having problems if you do not give it a substrate with moss.
• What's more, carnivorous plants do not tolerate direct sunlight well, especially in the most intense hours. Some of them, in fact, can acquire an intense red coloration in their leaves or traps when exposed to direct light, although it should never be done in the strongest daylight hours.

In these other Green Ecologist articles we show you everything about Caring for carnivorous plants and How to make a substrate for carnivorous plants.

More photos of carnivorous plants

After knowing the names of the carnivorous plants talking about different types and their care summarized in the previous video, we show you a carnivorous plant image gallery.

If you want to read more articles similar to 9 types of carnivorous plantsWe recommend that you enter our Indoor Plants category.