Popular for many years, with the many the fascinating forms of carnivorous plants available they make a great addition to the garden. Popular with children types such as Venus Fly Traps and other species or varieties of carnivorous plants for sale in Australia are not only fun but fascinating.
Different species attract and ‘eat’ their prey in different ways, some work as traps, others use sticky substances to hold insects. Carnivorous plants are some of the most highly evolved of all plant species, but all use a ‘digestive juice’ to dissolve insects and make nutrients available to the plant itself.
Growing Cold Tolerant Carnivorous plants Do’s and Don’ts
Carnivorous such as Sarracenia (Pitcher Plants), Dionea muscipula (Venus Flytraps) and Drosera (Sundews) will grow in cooler climates and they will grow outdoors. Sarracenia for example are hardy in temperate climates or to USDA Zone 7 – 8 depending on the species
TOP TIPS
- Use a specialist potting mix, usually 1 part peat moss to 1 part perlite or course sand.
- Mix these together to create a bog, either in a container or in the ground using pond liner.
- You need to have a position where they get full sun for around 6 hours a day.
- Regular potting mix is not suitable as it contains to many minerals.
Coir is also not suitable. - You also need to use water that is low in minerals.
- Fertiliser is never used as these pants get all the nutrients they need from insects they trap.
Plant Profile and Growing Hints
A short list of carnivorous plant names and species includes : Nepenthes, Pitcher Plants, Venus Fly Traps, Albomarginata, Ampullaria, Drosera, Sarracenia, Khasiana, Madagascariensis, Rafflesiana, Sanguinea, Truncata, Ventricosa, Viellardii, Brocchinia reducta and Catopsis berteroniana.
With over 600 plant species being regarded as Carnivorous it is difficult to generalize about growing conditions, the International Carnivorous Plant Society has an huge amount of info, so its a good place to start. The venus fly trap ( dionaea muscipule) is probably the best known carnivorous plant but take a look at Nepenthes such as N. glabrata you will probably become hooked
You may also be interested in :
Carnivorous Plants are available for sale from the following suppliers
357 Monbulk Road SILVAN VIC 3795
Guaranteed "garden worthy" bulbs, plants and perennials. Visit the website to browse our large range of daffodils or request the latest free catalogue.
www.tesselaar.net.au