Carnivorous Plant for a Beginner

[westie]

Hi! I am wondering what you think is the easiest carnivorous plant to grow and keep for the beginner. Also, is it better to put them in a terrarium, or keep them separate? Do certain plants grow better in the Northeast? All suggestions are welcome! Thank-you! http://64.227.163.178/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[nepenthes gracilis]

I would say go with a Sarracenia Purpurea subsp. Venosa or subsp. Purpurea. And WELOCME TO THE PFT COMMUNITY!

[westie]

I don't mean to be rude, but could you use the common names of the plants because I am not farmiliar with the scientific terms. Thank-you!

don't know about keeping them outside but I know that you can grow almost all indoors.

Sarracenia ( North American Pitcher Plant )- by far I think that this is one of the easiest plants to grow. Humidity around 50% place pot in tray ( saucer of water ) 1 - 1 1/2 inches deep. Needs dormancy in the winter

Dionaea ( Venus Flytrap )- what most people think of, but actually are a little harder to grow. Same conditions as sarracenia, but are prone to more problems than most CP's. Needs a dormant period

Drosera ( Sundew )- another great CP. This will need to be in an area that is 60% greater in humidity and will probably have to go into a terrarium when the humidity is high. Some need dormancy and some do not.

Pinguicula ( Butterwort )- great plants, very non descript and succulent looking. Needs high humidity as well, some can be tricky, but there are some great easy to care for plants. Some need dormancy and others do not. Terrarium plant, unless you can provide high humidity for them.

Nepenthes ( Tropical Pitcher Plant )- Many people collect these and they are great plants. Pitchers hang off the ends of lone 'vines' ( tendrils ). The pitcher are showy and this plant needs no dormancy. I would start off with 'lowland' varieties. They are easier to keep. Constant temperature and humidity are key. Terrarium plant.

Utricularia ( Bladderwort )- I just started getting into these plants. The bladders are usually hard to see, and are often underground, but the flowers and plant itself are awesome. Some need dormancy, humidity doesn't seem to be a problem. Tray method. Go for the terrestrial ones and stray from the aquatic ones.

Cephalotus ( Albany Pitcher Plant )- A great plant from Aussie land, but it has a temper. Kind of like the Nepenthes, but way smaller. No dormancy.

Byblis ( Rainbow plant )- Like sundews, but a little different. I have just planted some seed, so I know very little about them. Do not buy plants, b.c they do not transplant well at all. Only buy seed.

Genlisea ( Corkscrew Plant )- Something like Bladderworts, but a little stranger. You cannot see the roots, but the plant itself is pretty neat. Very easy to grow. I have a colony of them.

Heliamphora ( Sun Picher Plant )- A difficult plant to grow if you don't have the right conditions. Similar to growing highland nepenthes. Some people just don't have the resources for them. No dormancy. Humidity above 80% at all times. Nighttime temperatures into the 50-60's day time 70-80's

There are a couple more, but they are also difficult to grow...I got you the ones that everyone will know and some requirements for them. If you have any questions about them, please let me know.

[larry]

I recommend a Cape Sundew (Drosera capensis). These guys are hard to kill and pretty impressive looking too http://64.227.163.178/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif Somebody on the forum probably has some they're trying to get rid of. Just ask around.

[Pyro]

Westie,

Where in the NE are you? There are a fair number of members from various locations in the NE here who could offer specific outdoor plant suggestions.

My own suggestions for year round outdoor growing would be:

Northern purple pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpurea ssp purpurea)

Round leaf sundew (Drosera rotundifolia)

Other northern sundews like D. intermedia, D. linaris, D. angelica and possibly D. filiformis ssp filiformis.

You could probably grow most any other N. American pitcher outdoors in the summer as well as a wide variety of sundews and butterworts.

Bladderworts can be grown on any windowsill and I would be more than happy to offer you some specific suggestions (you might also want to talk to Tamlin and Dodecatheon)

Pyro

[Parasuco]

Well. At first, its kinda hard, but after about a month, you'll have most of the scientific names down pat... I personally would try to forget common names as there are mixups alot of the time... http://64.227.163.178/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

I would stay away from North American Pitcher Plants (Sarracenia) if you are going to grow them indoors. Obvisously, you don't have too many yet, and I'm supposing you dont have light ballasta with plant bulbs hanging over a table now, do you? Ya, me neither... Hehehe... Sarrs are HARD for me to grow indoors without proper plant lighting... Even a purpurea...

I would go with Drosera capensis:
http://www.carnivorousplants.org/seedbank/species/Images/D_capensis_wide.jpg

or Nepenthes ventricosa:
http://www.rowanscarnivores.com/Images_Etc/N_Ventricosa.JPG

They are both, as some people say, bombproof...
Choose one of these if you really want a 100% success rate... The only way you can fail is lack of enthusiasm... Really...
Ask for care instructions after you choose... Ifeel its easier that way... http://64.227.163.178/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif That way you've dont your own exploring, and not only discovered the easy ones, but maybe some more vague ones... even if you dont get htose, you can still have learned, know what i mean?

[westie]

No, I am not planning on growing plants outdoors. I would like to create a small terrarium or simply keep a few plants in my bedroom. http://64.227.163.178/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Parasuco]

The ventricosa could do well in your room as long as you dont TRY to dehumidify it... It would help to aid in humidity, but you don't have to go overboard, u know???

You would have to acclimate the plant first... Say you got it in the mail... You would pot it up, first, then stick the whole deal in a plastic baggy that didnt touch the plant at all... Put a bit of water in the bag too. Tie the top bag up, and give it a little air circulation once a day or so buy opening the bag up, and blowing or sumthing... Keep the knotted bag is permanent home for about a week or two, then open it, but have the bag stiff up like a tall plastic column... Have it like that for about two weeks... After that, lower it down to be only big enought that evaporated water from the bottom still hits the plant, but air still hits the leaves readily... After two moreweeks, TAKE THE DARNED BAG OFF... That is the absolute safest way, but you could probably go down to one week if you want to really rush it... Have it in bright shade... A west or east facing window is best... Only let it have two hours or so max of absolutly direct sunlight, because it can overheat in the bag... Bright light shining in the window all day is nice...

Only use distilled or reverse osmosis water... I suggest the Nepenthes ventricosa!!!!

[wickedthistle]

Few plants!?! Oh, we all start off with just a few... just you wait...we'll get you collecting in no time! http://64.227.163.178/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

I agree with the guys, a capensis and a ventricosa are great to start with. Then you can move on to venus fly traps, then pings, then before you know it, you'll be trying to figure out how to get everything in your terrarium!

[PlantAKiss]

Hi Westie

Welcome to the forums! You'll find yourself addicted in NO time! http://64.227.163.178/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

My vote is for drosera (sundew). A d. capensis or d. spatulata...both pretty easy to grow and good terrarium plants. Flytraps don't need to be in a terrarium...you can grow them on a sunny windowsill. A nepenthes ventricosa is good too...mine has grown like a weed.

Exotic Gardens, that runs this forum, is a great source of healthy plants.

Come back and visit often and you'll learn lots about growing carnivorous plants and you will make some good friends too!

Suzanne

If you are wanting to do a terrarium...

I would recommend:

sundews like plantakiss said....

Nepenthes ventricosa
Nepenthes raffleisana
Nepenthes gracilis
Nepenthes mirabilis

Those are really 4 easy to care for Nepenthes ( tropical pitcher plants ).

Sundews are a great thing to add as well.

they both require high humidity and good light. Perfect for a terrarium ( In my opinion )

Sarracenia ( North AMerican Pitcher Plants ) and Venus flytraps will do fine outside a terrarium on a window ( like plantakiss said ).

For a terrarium, you can get a 5-10 gallon fish tank.

[westie]

Would a venus fly trap be okay for a beginner if I didn't keep it in a terrarium? They seem to be much more common than many of the other plants, so they are readily avaliable. Therefore, is it really that much harder to care for a vft?

[Pyro]

I honestly feel that VFTs are actually more difficult than some of the other plants. They are just mass produced because everybody knows what they are http://64.227.163.178/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

If you want to grow in a windowsill you might still be able to get away with a N. ventricosa (I grow mine in a window during winter and on the patio in summer,) or a D. capensis. These are both tough plants and can be easily acclimated to out of terrarium cultivation.

Pyro

[RaW$VENUS.FLY.TRAP.beginner]

just because something is more common doesnt mean its easier vft really are bad after shipping them, repotting them, and are really picky about dirty water, you really should go for one of the other ones http://64.227.163.178/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[timbudtwo]

Raw, accually, it does mean its easier... You dont see many N. Rajah because there extreamly tough to grow. Do you see alot of dewy pines? There extreamley hard to cultivate as seedlings and propigation is only possiably via roots and seed. Cuttings all fail. Vft's are a very easy plant to deal with. And the reason their are so redialy avaiable is becasue there easy to grow and multiply quickly in t.c. They only need 50 precent humidity.Probably the easiest carnivorous plant to grow is Utricularia Gibba, you could probably grow it in the water in the back of your toilet! Good Luck finding what you want!

[nepenthes gracilis]

Tim, Rajah is not hard to grow. You just need to understand it's cultivation to make it easy. http://64.227.163.178/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif Anyone can grow a Rajah that is if they take good care of it and have the appropraite environment to grow it in. Same for Drosophyllum, if you can germinate the seed, and don;t transplant the palnt you'll be fine. http://64.227.163.178/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[RamPuppy]

You also have to realize that there is an enormous demand for the flytraps because of their fame, they move, that is cool, and that is why many are attracted to them first...

Demand is what drives production, not ease of growth.

Did anyone here know what a Rajah was when they were 5 years old? flytraps? (Show of hands? ) yeah, me too... always wanted a flytrap, never knew about rajah until my 20's.

[nepenthes gracilis]

A 5 year old Rajah? Heh! like $300.00

[timbudtwo]

Well, then i was misinformed, i was told that rajah was a tough one to raise and keep, and have heard vft's are easy to grow. If things that move are so popular, why arnt mimosa pudica plants popular, is the part that it eats bugs just an added extra http://64.227.163.178/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif. lol. I had also heard that dewy pines are hard to grow also ,well as a seedling like i said.

[BigCarnivourKid]

Personally, if I could start all over again those many years ago, I'd choose all three: *Drosera capensis, Nepenthes ventricosa, and a VFT. http://64.227.163.178/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
* That way I'd have built up a bigger collection of CPs by now. *Oh well, if wishes were fishes I'd be d***** tired of fish http://64.227.163.178/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif *http://64.227.163.178/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif
As for your question westie, once I discovered that my VFT needed purified or rain water, it was easy to grow. I use the tray method and they grow fine even in the dry climate of the Colorado Rockies. I just received a couple of sundews and Nepenthes ventricosas a couple weeks ago, so I can't vouch for how easy they are to grow yet. Both are doing fine in open top terrariums so far.
It's always the first step that is the hardest, no matter what you are beginning http://64.227.163.178/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif .