Thursday, February 5, 2009

On Pretty Plants that Bite:















Picture of my terrarium of carnivorous plants last year.

It is February in the northern hemisphere and that can only mean one thing to a girl like me. Carnivorous Plants! If you are looking for them they are generally only available for sale in February. I rushed out to one of my local home improvement centers and scooped up these lovelies.















Those of you who have been reading here for a while know how bad I felt when an early cold snap came and I had left my terrarium on the window sill at night. In the cold behind the drapes I lost my Sundew and Butterwort. The Venus Flytrap survived but weakly (It had gotten colder then 40F behind the drapes.) and when it went into the veggie bin for it’s winter hibernation period I wasn’t sure it would survive.

My Venus Flytrap did survive in the frig wrapped in it’s damp paper towel and tucked into it’s zip lock baggie for the winter. But I must say it looked so lonely in the terrarium by itself when I repotted it last week. I just couldn’t wait for the new carnivorous plants to come in and go on sale.

I do have to go and buy a new terrarium jar for this year. I found that the Venus did not like quite the same temperature and humidity as the others and I got myself a Purple Pitcher this year too and all five will not fit in my one jar.

So now my new little Venus Flytrap will live with the older one and the Butterwort, Sundew and Purple Pitcher Plant will be grouped together in the new terrarium. At least until the Pitcher Plant gets too tall and needs a new home of it’s own.

Fear not. There will be no repeat of the slug feeding incident. Mountain Man has repented his grievous act on my baby last year. And he has promise not to feed anything larger then a small cricket to my plants again.















I am now a happy carnivorous plant mama again. I must remember to put distilled water on my shopping list for them. And what to name them?

2 comments:

Mouse said...

I had no idea that there was a specific time to get carnivorous plants. I am going to have to go check the stores because I think my 7 year old would really love one. Which of the different species are the most, for lack of a better term... "dramatic"? I've never heard of Butterwort or Sundew. Also, if they are inside a terrarium of sorts then I assume you have to actively feed them?

Anonymous said...

Eudora! Or Neta. Or Consus.

~Katt