The Botanical Society of America is pleased to provide the "Carnivorous Plant" pages. We are in the early stages of developing this section of our site; check back regularly. In the meantime, enjoy the images (mainly donated by members) and the stories they tell. We hope these strange and interesting plants open up your possibilities for asking new questions about the fascinating lives of plants!

Carnivorous plants have the most bizarre adaptations to low-nutrient environments. These plants obtain some nutrients by trapping and digesting various invertebrates, and occasionally even small frogs and mammals. Because insects are one of the most common prey items for most carnivorous plants, they are sometimes called insectivorous plants. It is not surprising that the most common habitat for these plants is in bogs and fens, where nutrient concentrations are low but water and sunshine are seasonally abundant. As many as thirteen species of carnivorous plants have been found in a single bog. Most plants absorb nitrogen from the soil through their roots. Carnivorous plants absorb nitrogen from their animal prey through their leaves specially modified as traps.

Carnivorous plants are fascinating because, even when they are not trapping insects, their unusual forms are intriguing. However, you should not collect plants in the wild because most of them are relatively rare. Habitat destruction and over collection are two of the greatest conservation threats to carnivorous plants. If you are interested in growing carnivorous plants in your home or classroom, purchase the plants from a reputable grower who uses tissue culture or vegetative means to grow the plant, or starts them from seeds.