How do Carnivorous Plants Gain Nutrients?

Carnivorous plants do not gain most of their nutrients through their root system (like other plants). Instead, they use their specialized leaves to gain nutrients from the prey they attract, trap, kill, and digest.

How Much Do Carnivorous Plants Eat?

Because carnivorous plants can photosynthesize like other plants, they do not get their energy from eating, rather they gain nutrients/fertilizer through eating. Because of this, they do not need many nutrients to continue growing strongly. They will gain small amounts at a time from an insect here or there.

How Much Should I Feed My Venus Flytrap?

For a Venus Flytrap that is a few inches across, you can feed the plant a bug or two per month during the growing season. Letting your Venus Flytrap grow outdoors and catch food on its own is optimal but indoors feeding sparingly is recommended. Overstimulating the traps, and overfeeding can leave the plant exhausted. Feeding the Venus Flytrap every month is not necessary for survival but is recommended for robust growth. These plants can go several months without eating.

How Much Should I Feed My Pitcher Plant?

For tropical pitcher plants (Nepenthes) a small bug in every new pitcher that opens is a good amount of food to keep your plant growing strong and larger. When the plant gets larger, more bugs can be added to each pitcher but should not fill up the pitcher if hand-fed. For North American pitcher plants (Sarracenia) allowing the plant to live outdoors and catch its own prey is recommended. In any case: several bugs in every new pitcher that opens during the growing season will keep the plant healthy. Feeding your pitcher plants every month is not entirely necessary for survival but is recommended for great growth. These plants can go many months without eating.

How Much Should I Feed My Sundew?

Certain sundews such as the Drosera regia need to eat to put on size. Feeding a small bloodworm mixture to every new leaf will help these hungry plants grow well. Growing Drosera outdoors during the growing season will ensure they catch lots of bugs and grow rapidly. If growing outdoors is not possible, a small bug or two or a bloodworm and water mixture every month is enough to keep these plants satiated but is not necessary for survival. These plants can go several months without eating.

How Much Should I Feed My Butterwort?

Butterworts can grow well without much food but will experience good growth once fertilized by its prey. For robust growth, a few small bugs per month are enough to keep these plants happy. Again, these plants can go quite a while without eating so do not worry if they have not eaten in a few months. Not much food is needed to keep them happy but, they do grow best with some to help get the nutrients they need.