Interested in some of the world’s most fascinating plants? Then this course is for you! Carnivorous plants are plants that derive some or all of their nutrients by capturing and digesting small animals, such as insects. Ideal for naturalists, commercial growers or amateur collectors, this growing carnivorous plants course will teach you how to cultivate, grow and display carnivorous plants.

In our Certificate of Carnivorous Plants you will learn about plant families using botanical keys and understand the light, humidity, water, soil and nutritional needs of these unique plants. You will also gain insights into the propagation of carnivorous plants, including Australian pitcher plants, sundews from around the world, and how to grow carnivorous plants in terrariums, pots, greenhouses, shade houses and more.

Learning Outcomes

Outcomes achieved by undertaking a course on growing carnivorous plants include:

• Learning about differences in carnivorous plants around the world
• Exploring plant names and families and using a botanical key
• Studying the classification and parts of carnivorous plants
• Gaining an understanding of monocotyledons and dicotyledons
• Examining animal catching mechanisms
• Understanding resources, reference books, magazines and journals
• Attaining knowledge of nurseries, gardens and seed suppliers
• Gaining insights into carnivorous plant health
• Learning about light requirements, humidity and water needs
• Exploring how to avoid frost, wet and wind
• Gaining an understanding of soils and how to name and improve them
• Studying soil and potting mixes
• Examining plant nutrition and the major and minor nutrient elements
• Understanding toxicities and deficiencies
• Attaining knowledge of the indicators of deficiency and toxicity
• Gaining insights into feeding carnivorous plants animal tissues
• Learning about sarracenia and tips for growing it
• Exploring basic planting procedures
• Gaining an understanding of fertiliser, times of planting and mulching
• Studying where to grow carnivorous plants and how to maintain plants in pots
• Examining feeding, watering, temperature, ventilation and light
• Understanding the types of pots, common problems with containers and where to place them
• Attaining knowledge of composting, C/N ratios of some compostable materials, composting methodsand what can be put into compost
• Gaining insights into watering plants, the symptoms of water deficiency and water excess and how to maintain the appropriate water levels
• Learning about propagating carnivorous plants and collecting from the wild
• Exploring the methods of propagating plants, sexual propagation and asexual (vegetative) propagation
• Gaining and understanding of leaf and root cuttings, disinfecting propagation material and the sources of hypochlorite
• Studying the best propagating environment and the equipment and materials for propagation
• Examining propagating aids, plant containers and the types of pots
• Understanding plant labels, eeed propagation and how to collect, store and sow seeds
• Attaining knowledge of tissue culture, uses, problems and procedures
• Gaining insights into in vitro cultures used for propagation
• Learning about multiplication by adventitious roots and rooting and planting out
• Exploring pitcher plants and sundews
• Gaining an understanding of Cephalotus, Nepenthes, Drosera, Heliamorphora and Sarracenias (trumpet pitchers)
• Studying Dionaea, Pinguicula, Bladderworts, Darlingtonia and Aldrovanda
• Examining how to grow Droseras
• Understanding fork leaved sundews, Australian sundews including northern and eastern Australian sundews
• Attaining knowledge of terrariums, pots, tubs, bog gardens, greenhouses and shade houses

And more!

Features of Carnivorous Plants

Plants are considered “carnivorous” if they have these five traits:

1. They capture prey in traps
2. They kill the captured prey
3. They digest the captured prey
4. They absorb nutrients from the killed and digested prey
5. They use those nutrients to grow and develop.

Other traits may include the attraction and retention of prey.

Trapping Mechanisms

Five basic trapping mechanisms are found in carnivorous plants. These traps may be active or passive depending on whether movement aids the capture of prey.

1. Pitfall traps, typically found in Pitcher plants, trap prey in a rolled leaf that contains a pool of digestive enzymes or bacteria.
2. Flypaper traps use thick, gluey substances.
3. Snap traps utilise rapid leaf movements.
4. Bladder traps suck in prey with a “bladder” that generates an internal vacuum.
5. Lobster-pot traps use inward-pointing hairs to force prey to move towards a digestive organ.

There are also carnivorous plants that have a combination of trapping mechanisms. For example, Drosera glanduligeracombines features of both flypaper and snap traps and Nepenthes jamban is a combination of pitfall and flypaper traps because it has a sticky pitcher fluid.

Popular Australian Carnivorous Plants

If you are keen on growing carnivorous plants, you will no doubt get to know some of the species that are native to Australia. Here are some of the most popular.

Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)

The Venus Flytrap is one of the most popular carnivorous plants and a great choice if you are thinking about growing carnivorous plants. It is a small plant with hinged leaves that look like little mouths. These plants have stiff spines with glands that secrete nectar that attracts pretty. When touched, the little “hairs” along the edges of the leaves trigger, causing them to shut and catch their prey. These plants prefer plenty of sun and tropical climates.

Waterwheel Plant (Aldrovanda vesiculosa)

These are smaller, aquatic cousins of the Venus Flytrap. They have no roots and are typically aquatic and float freely. The Waterwheel plant uses a trap mechanism – known as a snap trap- to feed on different types of marine animals, but are highly adaptive at catching mosquito larvae.

Moccasin Plant (Cephalotus)

Originally found in Southwest Australia, this plant uses sweetly scented nectars in its “lids” to attract and confuse their prey. Once enticed into the plant’s moccasin-shaped pitchers, digestive enzymes slowly dissolve the prey. Moccasin plants are one of the largest carnivorous plants in Australia and can be found in both high rocky woods and low sandy woods in the mountains.

Rainbow Plants (Byblis)

This is a delicate and attractive carnivorous plant with elegant flowers and sparkling leaves that shimmer in the sunlight. Native to Western Australia, Byblis is the only genus that belongs to the Byblidaceae family. Their flowers and leaves mask the plant’s lethal nature as they lure and trap small insects.

Trigger Plant (Stylidium)

Some Stylidium species are equipped with sticky hairs (trichomes) that capture small insects and this often has nothing to do with pollination. The leaves secrete enzymes that aid in digestion, slowly dissolving the trapped insects. What is not clear is whether the trigger plant gets any nutrients from the trapped bugs or the plant just tries to deal with pesky unwanted visitors. About 70 per cent of the trigger plant species naturally grow in the south-west of Australia.

Rainbow Plant (Byblis gigantea)

The plant develops narrow stems, from where the linear leaves emerge. These leaves have two types of glands, one secreting the shimmering sticky fluid to attract and ensnare insects. Insects land on the leaf, expecting to have a sweet snack, only to get stuck. The insect dies from suffocation and exhaustion as it tries to escape. They are native to the Perth and are commonly found in swampy areas and seasonally wet regions.

Sundews (Drosera)

The Sundew is one of the most widespread carnivorous plants, with around 130 species across the globe. All Sundew plants have carnivorous habits and delicate flowers with shining dewdrops, which gives them an attractive appearance. However, their flowers vary greatly in in size, shape, quantity and seasonal timing. Varieties include King, Fan-leafed, Tuberous, Pigmy, Tropical, Fork-leaved, Cape, Temperate, Woolly, Climbing Tuberous and Rosette Tuberous Sundews.

Pimpernel Sundew (Drosera glanduligera)

This is a carnivorous plant commonly found in Australia. The plant trapping mechanism is unique because it blends the features of both flypaper and snap trap features. Crawling bugs trigger the catapult-flypaper trap. Drosera glanduligera is endemic in south Western Australia, southeastern Australia and Tasmania.

Tropical Pitcher Plant (Nepenthes)

This is a rare and unique carnivorous plant that traps and digests insects to get to meet its nutrient needs. It attracts insects using the sweet scent of nectar and dead insects. Once an insect has been trapped, it cannot escape and drowns in a pool of water. Rather than getting the nutrients it needs from the soil, the plant uses enzymes for digestion.

Bladderwort (Utricularia)

Bladderwort is native to all continents except the Antarctic. This carnivorous plant floats in streams and lakes that contain small sack-like traps growing alongside the stem. If triggered, the traps have a smart door-like valve. The plant’s trapping mechanism operates by pumping water through the walls of the trap that builds increasing pressure. Once a bug has touched these hairs, the wall of the trap will open, sucking in the insect. The door will close when the trap is filled with water to digest the trapped captors.

 

Gain a solid foundation knowledge of carnivorous plants to grow your future horticultural career or personal passion with a course on growing carnivorous plants such as our Certificate of Carnivorous Plants.