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Introduction to Carnivorous Plant Bog Gardening

Mystify your friends and neighbors with carnivorous plants this summer! Carnivorous plants are some of the most astonishing of all flora on the planet. They can be found on nearly every continent and have adapted to a wide array of circumstances for survival. Some grow as epiphytes in trees while others grow aquatically beneath the surface of ponds. Some grow in soggy bogs while others are found in near desert conditions. Some go dormant, appearing only during a certain season yet others can grow year round. Some have traps that will trap a mouse while others have such tiny traps, they could barely capture a tiny water flea. Some can tolerate temperatures above 100 degrees while others can tolerate 20 below zero. All of these adaptations have allowed these plants to colonize poor, nutrient deficient soils that other plants cannot. These plants supplement themselves with nitrogen and mineral rich little packages called insects.

The trapping mechanisms are as creative and varied as the plants themselves. Although many people think that the traps are flowers, this is not true. Most all of the traps used by carnivorous plants are modified leaves carefully and artistically shaped by the hands of time over millions of years. The result is the stunning, yet lethal, forms we see today. Some plants use pitfall type pitchers containing liquid to drown their prey. Although they do not move they are no less deadly. Others use a sticky fly-paper method that instantly adheres any insect unfortunate enough to land on the glue covered leaf. And then there is the famous Venus Fly Trap that is quite active in the trapping of its prey. The quick closing of the trap is actually a stunningly fast growth process where each side of the trap instantly grows shut. Others use specially modified roots to take advantage of soil living organisms.

While all of these plants seem exotic and foreign, most people are surprised to learn that some may grow quite close to their own backyard. Carnivorous plants can be found in many parts of the US and are very easy and rewarding to grow in the home garden. It is quite simple to cultivate these captivating plants and witness up close the amazing strategies these plants use to survive.

It's not too late to plant now to enjoy spectacular and unusual summer color! The North American Pitcher Plants are some of the easiest carnivorous plants to grow and provide summer long interest of both color and action. Pitcher plants have two main seasons where they really shine; first in early spring when their beautiful flowers emerge and then in late summer when their spectacular pitchers have matured and fully colored up. It is amazing to sit back and watch as countless flies, bees and yellowjackets are drawn to the pitchers and then lured to their demise on sunny afternoons. Venus Fly Traps, with their quick moving jaws, also add to the drama while taking their share of the feast. The glistening jewel-like sundews are deceptively beautiful. The shimmering drops covering their leaves appear to offer a meal of nectar when, in fact, the liquid is one of the strongest glues in nature. Once an insect lands on the leaf it is stuck fast! The banquet does not stop at the ground level either. Under the substrate another group of carnivores, the bladderworts, assures that soil living organisms are not safe either. The roots of these plants produce tiny bladders that suck in tiny creatures unfortunate enough to pass too close. On the surface all that is visible is tiny leaves and showy flowers. There are still more carnivores that can add variety and color to your garden too.

These plants are easy to grow in any sunny area and require very little maintenance. They do require a wet, acidic substrate in which to grow so ordinary garden soil won't do. Because of this, Bog Garden Bowls are one of the simplest ways to grow them. To make it as easy as possible, you can follow the step by step instructions detailed here. Bog gardens are easy to care for and they make a great summertime project for the whole family!

One of the easiest and most rewarding ways to grow the North American natives is to create a Bog Garden Bowl. Click here to find out how. When growing them in a terrarium it is usually best to leave them in their pot, as they require the acid conditions that the peat moss substrate provides and it also makes removing the temperate species for winter dormancy much easier. Alternately, they can be grown in a bog terrarium where they can be planted directly into the peat substrate. For instructions on how to set up one of these fascinating terrariums click here.