Wondering what plants will be in vogue in 2025? According to garden experts and influencers, this is the year for colorful, lush, resilient, native, edible and something kind of new — carnivorous — plants.
If the word “carnivorous” conjures disturbing images of Audrey II, the infamous man-eating Venus flytrap-like star of the hit films and Broadway show “Little Shop of Horrors,” relax. Audrey II is a fictional plant from the planet Kepler-186, which is a real planet but it’s far, far away, that’s bent on eradicating humankind.
Carnivorous plants from planet Earth, however, are helpful to humankind because they provide ecological services, a degree of pest control and possess valuable medicinal qualities. They can also be beautiful and fascinating additions to our gardens and homes.
Yes, they are flesh-eating, but they only have a penchant for non-human flesh from creatures such as microorganisms, insects, arthropods, crustaceans, small mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, which they invite over for a meal – or more correctly, to be a meal.
Also called “predatory” plants, carnivorous plants aren’t murderous by nature. In fact, the International Carnivorous Plant Society distinguishes between the two: Carnivorous plants kill to eat; murderous plants kill because they can, though they mostly kill as a means of self-protection rather than out of malice.
But why do carnivorous plants need to eat meat when they can photosynthesize? Because the boggy, swampy, watery, rocky and sandy environments where they live are typically low in nitrogen, phosphorous and other essential minerals that necessary for photosynthesis and to produce leaves, roots, stems, seeds, flowers and fruit. Since these vital nutrients aren’t available in local soils and water, carnivorous plants developed ways to obtain them from other nutrient-rich sources — their neighbors.
These plants are fascinating examples of the evolutionary process, including the phenomenon of convergent evolution when organisms from different locations and eras independently develop similar traits in response to similar environmental conditions across the globe. The result is that similar though unrelated carnivorous plants can be found on every continent except Antarctica. Today, some 700-800 species are known to exist representing a fascinating array of plant types including Venus flytraps, pitcher plants, sundews, butterworts and bladderworts.
Because they can’t move around to hunt or gather food, carnivorous plants developed physical characteristics that allow them to lure, trap and digest prey. Using color, shape, scent and nectar to lure in prey, the plants snare them in a variety of distinctive traps: snapping “jaws” (Venus flytraps), sticky/adhesive surfaces (sundews and butterworts), pitfall (pitcher plants), bladder/vacuum systems (bladderworts) and lobster pot snares (corkscrew plants and some pitcher plants).
Once a creature is trapped, the plants use enzymes, and sometimes symbiotic relationships with other insects and bacteria, to dissolve the prey’s body, which releases nutrients that the plants can then absorb.
Alabama is home to four primary genera: sundews, butterworts, bladderworts and pitcher plants (Venus flytraps are only native to North and South Carolina’s coastal bogs). We are second only to Florida in the number of native carnivorous plant species, and we have the most Sarracenia (the genus of pitcher plants native to North America) pitcher plants in the world, some of which are found only in Alabama and often in tiny ranges of the state.
While we have an abundance of carnivorous plant species, two — the Canebrake and Alabama Green pitcher plants — are federally endangered and many others are at risk from habitat loss, fire suppression, wild collection and the spread of invasive species. We can help protect these populations by supporting land and plant conservation and research efforts, protecting and properly managing private lands where these plants are found and supporting and abiding by laws that restrict poaching of these plants from public lands.
We can also enjoy carnivorous plants in our own yards and homes. Pitcher plants, sundews and flytraps are wonderful options for water and bog gardens and in outdoor containers. All three plants can also do well indoors, but key to their survival in any location is providing proper growing conditions — a planting media that mirrors their native habitats, lots of sunlight and a steady supply of rainwater (not tap water). While outdoor-grown carnivorous plants don’t need fertilizer or feeding, those grown indoors will need to be fed fresh or freeze-dried insects.
To learn more about carnivorous plants, check out information provided the Alabama Wildlife Federation (alabamawildlife.org), Alabama Cooperative Extension System (aces.edu), the International Carnivorous Plant Society (carnivorousplants.org), the Botanical Society of America (botany.org) and other expert and professional resources.
“The Carnivorous Kingdom,” a documentary film by Alabama environmental journalist and author Ben Raines, offers a fabulous glimpse into the world of Alabama’s native carnivorous plants and can be found at pbs.org.
You can see carnivorous plants in the wild at several Alabama preserves and public forests in Baldwin and Escambia/Covington counties: Spring is a great time to see them in their full glory, but many are present from February through fall. Many public gardens and arboretums also have carnivorous plant displays and often offer seminars on growing and protecting these plants.
To buy native carnivorous plants, keep an eye out for seasonal sales sponsored by preservation and conservation groups or public gardens. Some native plant and locally owned nurseries also carry native carnivorous plants, and you can order an array of carnivorous plants online but always vet the dealer to be sure they are reputable and ethical sellers. Carnivorous plants should not be harvested from the wild!
If flesh-eating plants don’t appeal to you, check out the various 2025 garden trend lists (see an overview at left) including the National Garden Bureau’s (ngb.org) plants of the year, for additional ideas.
Katie Jackson is a freelance writer and editor based in Opelika, Alabama. Contact her at [email protected].
