Carnivorous Plants

While most of our carnivorous plants live behind the scenes in Kew's Tropical Nursery, you can still discover the magic of flesh-eating plants dotted around the Gardens.

You’ll find some of these weird and wonderful carnivores in a dedicated zone in the Princess of Wales Conservatory, while gorgeous purple pitchers also thrive in the Rock Garden and the Alpine House.

From Venus fly traps to pouting pitchers, carnivorous plants have developed remarkable adaptations to help them master the art of eating other living things.

Close-up of Nepenthes in the Princess of Wales Conservatory — Nepenthes, Princess of Wales Conservatory

Venus flytrap, Dionaea muscipula — Venus flytrap

Modified, tubular leaves with hooded open lids of the purple pitcher plant — Purple pitcher plants in the Rock Garden © RBG Kew

These plants generally live on nutrient-poor soils, so the prey they trap helps to provide them with nutrients they would otherwise find hard to obtain.

The Venus fly trap (Dionaea), for example, has toothed leaves that snap shut and trap its unsuspecting prey.

Pitcher plants (such as Sarracenia, Cephalotus, Darlingtonia and Nepenthes) lure unwitting insects into their smooth, waxy interior walls with an intoxicating smell and bright colour.

Sometimes seen as ‘beautiful murderers,’ they hail from many different parts of the world – whether that’s Australia, Brazil or even as close to Kew as Dorset.