Carnivorous Plants/DESK PLANTS

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Expert: - 10/12/2008


Question
I work at UIC Hospital in a small cubicle, I would love to spice up my work station with a plant.  My question to you, are carnivorous plants good for the work place, or what would you suggest?

Answer
Hello Sherry,

Carnivorous plants are more high maintenance than a typical Ivy. If you are ready to add lights and watering arrangements for the plant that differ from regular office/house plants, then yes, you could try a tropical carnivorous plant. I would suggest a small sundew or butterwort that will survive on 6000 to 12000 lumens of florescent light at about 4-8 inches from the plant. Carnivorous plants really are best left at home where you can take care of them and change things as you need to accommodate them, but a single small sundew or butterwort would not really be that much of a hassle as long as it gets a very good dose of strong light for about 12-14 hours a day. When people indicate that they want a plant for the office, they generally do not realize that they can't just leave them on the desk and let the overhead lights do the job, carnivorous plants need far more light than that at a much closer proximity than the 8 foot or greater ceiling height allows.

Christopher

Carnivorous Plants

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Christopher Littrell

Expertise

I am capable of answering questions about the most common carnivorous plants found in cultivation. I have no personal experience with Byblis, Drosophyllum, Aldrovanda, and Heliamphora. I have not cultivated gemmae forming pygmy sundews nor tuberous sundews. For information regarding those aforementioned species, I would suggest contacting other experts. I can answer questions regarding most species of Nepenthes, tropical and temperate Drosera, Mexican Pinguicula, Sarracenias, and Dionaea. I have some limited experience with growing Utricularia, Cephalotus, and Darlingtonia.

Experience

I have grown carnivorous plants off and on for about 27 years. I have made the same mistakes and suffered the same mishaps that many growers make as they attempt to separate the myths from the realities of growing these plants. Currently, I am successfully growing a variety of tropical sundews, a Nepenthes, several Venus Flytraps of varying ages, and Sarracenias. I have been successful in stratifying Sarracenia seeds and providing artificial dormancy requirements for my temperate plants when needed.

Education/Credentials
I hold a Master's degree in Educational Psychology. Over my lifetime, I have constantly read books involving the growing conditions of carnivorous plants. I hope to incorporate the educational aspects involved in psychology with teaching other people how to cultivate carnivorous plants.

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