Growing Carnivorous Plants

For centuries, carnivorous plants have carried an air of fascination and mystique unparalleled in the plant world. Growing Carnivorous Plants is a comprehensive guide to identifying and cultivating these remarkable plants. From the well-known Venus flytrap to obscure African sundews, from the giant pitcher plant vines of Borneo the microscopic bladderworts of Florida, more than 200 species, hybrids and cultivars from all genera of carnivorous plants are described. Included are explanations of the fascinating and diverse mechanisms the plants use to trap their victims. Imitating a plant's natural environment is the key to success in growing carnivorous plants, and this book will help readers select the best plants to grow on a windowsill, in a terrarium or greenhouse. Information on how to feed carnivorous plants will enable even the most squeamish grower to ensure that plants receive the nutrients they require. The book's 400 photographs include both spectacular images from the wild and lovely plants in cultivation.

Media reviews of this book:

"Essential."

—L. G. Kavaljian, Choice, May 2007

"With chapters that explore our 'Fascination With Botanical Monsters' and plants' 'Murderous Methods' ... this is a book that will give Little Shop of Horrors a run for its money when it comes to entertainment."

—Marianne Binetti, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, November 27, 2006

"Rice, certainly the foremost specialist, has written an accessible introduction to the strange and fascinating world of carnivorous plants."

—SciTech Book News, December 2007

"A wonderful addition to the coffee table or gardening shelf."

—Lydia Lee, California Home & Design, May 2007

"The hundred of photographic portraits of carnivorous plants included in the book are brilliant; there is no fantasy here, it's all real and fascinating, beautiful and bizarre. ... Seeing these plants in their ever-shrinking natural habitat is a revelation."

—Susan Smith-Durisek, Lexington Herald-Leader, November 21, 2006

An excerpt from this book:

There are many habitats where nutrients are scarce. In these settings, conventional plants have had to develop mechanisms that enable them to survive on limited resources. Carnivorous plants defy this difficulty by extracting precious nutrients directly from animal life. This gives the carnivorous plants a competitive advantage over more mundane plants. In the fight for survival, a competitive advantage can mean the difference between perishing and thriving. Those plants that survive long enough to reproduce are the winners. So the short answer to, "Why are some plants carnivorous?" is simply, "Why not? It works!" When discussing the natural history of carnivorous plants, it is good to remember that these organisms are not thinking creatures, at least not in the usual sense of the phrase ...

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