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[Hilbert]

Anyone else here grow these little wonders of evolution? I have a shelf and grow lights set up in one of my rooms, and one of the shelves is dedicated to carnivorous plants. I generally order them off the internet, and if you find a shady dealer, you have to work hard to nurse it back to health.

My apartment neighbors think I am crazy, because twice a month I go searching for bugs to feed them.

They aren't the easiest houseplants, but they are fun and look like something from another planet. Here are some of my photos!

One of my Pitcher Plants.

My sundew was in bad shape when I got it, I needed to nurse it back into health:

Here is one of my Venus Fly Traps slowly digesting a live bug:

The sundew must be feeling better, it is sending out flower stalks

Here is a close-up of my sundew so you can see the deadly traps:

Here are some close-up shots of my red sundew:

Venus fly trap mouth. You can see the trigger hairs, ready to trap a bug:

And of course my Sarracenia flava, the red american pitcher plant:

Anyone else here grow them?

Edit:
If anyone is interested in growing them, I recommend this online store:
California Carnivores
and this book
The Savage Garden

 

[Deleted member 22576]

Those are really cool.
I've always wanted carnivorous plants.

 

[edgefusion]

Wow those things look badass! I want to grow them now.

 

[mr jones]

Awesome pictures, man.

I can't imagine owning one. I'd have no idea how to feed them. Do you keep them in a tank that you can place insects in? Aren't some of those tropical plants? What kind of care do they need besides distilled water and full sunlight?

 

[Count Dookkake]

What about those gerbil toilet plants?

 

[Axion22]

I had a Venus fly trap as a kid but I didn't take good care of it and it died

 

[The Technomancer]

......godamnit, that musical is stuck in my head now. Thanks
I never had any personally, but I was always fascinated as a kid by the pitcher plants we had at school.

 

[LosDaddie]

My apartment neighbors think I am crazy, because twice a month I got searching for bugs to feed them.

That's great. I need to get me one of these plants.

 

[Hilbert]

Awesome pictures, man.

I can't imagine owning one. I'd have no idea how to feed them. Do you keep them in a tank that you can place insects in? Aren't some of those tropical plants? What kind of care do they need besides distilled water and full sunlight?

I generally feed them any non-ant bugs that I can find (ants take a long time to digest and die, and with their formic acid and huge jaws they can do some damage to the plant before they die.). Beetles, pillbugs and chopped up earthworms are usually what I use. I catch bugs then place them in the plant with forceps. Some plants like the Fly Traps require the bugs still be alive when trapped, so you have to be a little gentle with the bugs.

But if you don't feed them often they generally do okay, I had a fly trap for 2 years and I never fed it a thing.

I keep them in my computer room, because the room is usually warmer than the rest of the house. In the winter(or when they are looking a little sad) I cover them with glass containers to keep the humidity and warmth.

I will add this to the OP, but I recommend this online store:
California Carnivores
and this book
The Savage Garden

 

[J-Rod]

I have 3 badass traps. This pic was at the start of this year right when one started growing back from the winter. I decided to let one bloom this year and thought it was pretty interesting, so I'll put up some pics after work. They grow much better outside in full sun if you have the right climate.

 

[DonMigs85]

Can you feed them small pieces of chicken or some other meat in lieu of bugs?

 

[Hilbert]

Can you feed them small pieces of chicken or some other meat in lieu of bugs?

My understanding is no, too much sodium and fat. Although I have never tried on my own. I know lots of people buy bloodworms(you can usually find frozen or dried bloodworms in a fish store) to feed them.

 

[joelseph]

That is awesome, totally going to get me some of those. Right now I am just rocking normal stuff like Mother-in-Laws tongues, ferns, mexican holly, etc.

 

[EvilMario]

We had those venus flytraps in California; they were pretty popular, especially for kids. Pretty easy to take care of, and very interesting.

 

[Leunam]

In the winter(or when they are looking a little sad) I cover them with glass containers to keep the humidity and warmth.

aww

 

[Salsa]

Petey approves of this thread.

Good looking plants right there.

 

[Dude Abides]

Do they require insects to live or can they survive without them if the soil is rich enough?

 

[J-Rod]

Do they require insects to live or can they survive without them if the soil is rich enough?

As far as traps go, rich soil will kill them. The more barren the soil the better. Even the minerals in tap water is too much for them. That's why you plant them in sphagnum pete moss, and maybe some perilite if you're afraid the soil will get too compact.

 

[NotWii]

Venus Fly Traps are cool, I'm gonna get one this summer
I wish I knew they need distilled water when I got one a few years ago :/

Look at em grow!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSAwJ3KWtT4

 

[Jill Sandwich]

Ever fed them chunks of Steve Martin?

 

[NotWii]

Can you feed them small pieces of chicken or some other meat in lieu of bugs?

Nope, the traps will rot

 

[victreeb3l]

As far as traps go, rich soil will kill them. The more barren the soil the better. Even the minerals in tap water is too much for them. That's why you plant them in sphagnum pete moss, and maybe some perilite if you're afraid the soil will get too compact.

Really? Tell me more.

 

[Hilbert]

Really? Tell me more.

Most of them evolved to grow in really poor soil. That's why they evolved to use bugs, but their root system are really simple and mostly used for support. And since most of them grow in marshy areas, they need constant watering, because their roots can't really search it out.

 

[sneakypete]

Instead of hunting around for bugs, couldn't you go pick up some crickets from a local bait shop?

Here in the South you can get crickets at a lot of mom and pop type gas stations for cheap.

Oh and awesome thread btw, very interesting.

 

[Hilbert]

Instead of hunting around for bugs, couldn't you go pick up some crickets from a local bait shop?

Here in the South you can get crickets at a lot of mom and pop type gas stations for cheap.

Oh and awesome thread btw, very interesting.

I generally only need 3 or 4 good bugs. I have seen live crickets for sale, but always in large quantities.

besides, I like trying different types of bugs, seeing their drained carcass, and how well my plant can deal with them.

 

[Slavik81]

Sadly, these things are nearly impossible to keep alive in Canada...
I had one, but it didn't last long.

The beetle that fought its way out of the trap was pretty interesting, though.

 

[J-Rod]

Well, I swore I had taken a photo of it in full bloom, but I can't find it. So here is an uninteresting picture of a dead flower.

It is taller than it looks. I read that you shouldn't let it produce a flower because it takes so much out of the plant, and now I can understand why. It is very rigid and stiff unlike the rest of the plant. I had 3 flower stems come up, and cut two and left this one to grow just to see it. I guess it high so it doesn't eat the pollinator before it serves its purpose.

Although you can't really see it in the photo, I had a couple to produced 8 trigger hairs instead of the usual 6, which I thought was interesting.

 

[PetriP-TNT]

Seriously: When someone grows one looking like those plants in Super Mario Bros or the one in Little Shop Of Horrors I'll buy ten. DAY 1

 

[weekend_warrior]

How do these crazy bug eating plants work anyway? Fucking magic man.

 

[close to the edge]

How do these crazy bug eating plants work anyway? Fucking magic man.

Magic everywhere in this bitch!

They are interesting but seem quite a lot of work.. I'm bad enough with normal plants. Also, I'm kind of afraid they might eat me one day. D:

 

[hulkamania-owns-you]

has anybody ever masterbated into one of these plants?

i know ham doesn't work, thanks to somebody i know

 

[Lamel]

has anybody ever masterbated into one of these plants?

i know ham doesn't work, thanks to somebody i know

...oh boy.

 

[El Sloth]

has anybody ever masterbated into one of these plants?

i know ham doesn't work, thanks to somebody i know

...go on.

 

[Rpgmonkey]

I've made two attempts to grow flytraps to no avail. I'm normally good at growing plants so it always makes me feel bad.

I've been working with seeds and I guess these things are too fickle for me to handle at that stage, so I think I'm just going to get a pre-grown one, work from there, and see how it goes.

 

[Dude Abides]

As far as traps go, rich soil will kill them. The more barren the soil the better. Even the minerals in tap water is too much for them. That's why you plant them in sphagnum pete moss, and maybe some perilite if you're afraid the soil will get too compact.

That's kind of neat. They evolved to compensate for shitty soil so if you put them in good soil they die.

 

[Jangaroo]

I used to own one when I was younger. Wonderful little thing. I was always curious though, how does the plant tell the difference between say a bug and a finger? I was tempted to stick my pinky finger to trigger the hair when I was younger but I was too scared :lol

 

[Slavik81]

I used to own one when I was younger. Wonderful little thing. I was always curious though, how does the plant tell the difference between say a bug and a finger? I was tempted to stick my pinky finger to trigger the hair when I was younger but I was too scared :lol

It doesn't know the difference. But there's no way it could actually harm you. It's not nearly strong enough.

Just keep in mind that the leaves can only open and close a limited number of times before they die. Setting it off without feeding it will result in the plant's death if you do it too many times.

 

[Jangaroo]

It doesn't know the difference. But there's no way it could actually harm you. It's not nearly strong enough.

Just keep in mind that the leaves can only open and close a limited number of times before they die. Setting it off without feeding it will result in the plant's death if you do it too many times.

Ah I gotcha. I was about seven or eight when I had the plant but I never bothered to do some research on it. I kind of want one now.

 

[Dead Man]

Awesome plants, thanks for sharing.

 

[Hilbert]

Sorry for the bump, but I felt like sharing some updated photos of my plants and some of the new ones I have been growing.

This is the latest shot of my tropical pitcher plant. Same plant that is the very first picture in this thread. The plant has been repotted, and and grown very well. I fed it 2 earthworms and a pillbug yesterday. This type of pitcher plant (nepenthes) has become my favorite type of carnivorous plant. I have started focusing on mainly growing them.

Here is a close up of one of the pitchers. It looks all slick, slimy and gross.

Here is a different pitcher plant that grows traps that are shaped differently. I think these are really cute.

This guy is really really slow growing, but it finally put out a pitcher, and it is awesomely colored.

I like the small squatting pitchers this guy is producing.

Follicularis is the only species in the genus Cephalotus, which grows in a very small part of the southwestern coast of Australia. It grows very very slowly, and it is more closely related to a rose than to the previous pitcher plants.

One of my sundew plants. You can see the older lower leaves are covered in bugs that it has caught and digested. Behind it you can see one of my pots of basil that I grow for the winter.

My red sundew. I wanted to photo the new leaves uncurling, but the photo didn't really turn out.

Two evil mosquitos awaiting a slow death by digestion.

My Venus Fly Traps are all outside, I am trying to get them to enter their dormant cycle, so no updated photos of them.

Enjoy!

 

[~Devil Trigger~]

I approve anything that eats mosquitoes

seriously, why do mosquitoes exist?

 

[joelseph]

Hilbert, can you detail what type of indoor setup you have?

 

[Snaku]

Was expecting some sort of stealth vorarephilia thread. :lol

Awesome pics though.

 

[Trojita]

Fuck that shit.

 

[Subitai]

Hey those are looking good. I wish there was a plant that would those annoying stink bugs. I saw on the news bearded dragons will eat them like popcorn.

 

[DonMigs85]

I approve anything that eats mosquitoes

seriously, why do mosquitoes exist?

They need to spread disease and weed out the weak beasts from the strong
Their larva also provide food for fish and other creatures.

 

[Man]

Looks like they are yelling.

 

[oracrest]

What a strange thread.

 

[xbhaskarx]

Pitcher plants are awesome, and I don't just mean as toilets for tiny animals.

 

[Hilbert]

Hilbert, can you detail what type of indoor setup you have?

I have two metal shelves that I picked up from my local Fred Meyer(about 5 feet tall and 5 feet wide). I hung flourescent light fixtures on them with full spectrum bulbs. All these lights are plugged into a timer that will turn on the lights at about 7 AM and turn them off about 10 PM. I have one closet empty in my apartment and these two shelves side by side fill up the entire closet.

One of them is for the plants that can handle cooler weather, and the other is for the picky plants that need constant warmth and humidity. The one for the pickier plants, I covered in plastic sheeting, with two overlapping sheets in front so I can access the plants.
When I was setting up the second shelf I took some photos to document it.

Here is the covered shelf, the plastic is held on by duct tape. Absolutely nothing fancy.

Here are some of my picky plants. You can see the plastic in front is being held on by magnets, so I can open it any time.

I hung a thermometer in here so I could keep an eye on the heat level. Right now it is a little colder than I want, I would prefer it to be around 80 degrees. I have been keeping a log of the temps at different times of day, and they have all been acceptable, but if it ever gets too cold I need to find a heating solution. I am thinking of hanging a bare bulb to warm it up.

There they are! Happy and snug!

I have no photos of my other shelf, but it is pretty much exactly the same, but without plastic.