11 Creepy Carnivorous Plants for Your Halloween Garden

Calling all goth gardeners, flora phantasms, and conjurers of cultivation! I’m simply dying to share some of the most terrifying members of Kingdom Plantae from around the globe. These disquieting plants are creepy carnivores, and they are screaming to be part of your Halloween garden!

If, like most gardeners, you’ve been plagued at one time or another by insects eating your plants, it’s time to exact revenge. Carnivorous plants have adeptly adapted to less-than-favorable conditions. They’ve evolved to contend with poor soil conditions by learning to lure insects and other small animals to their deaths. At the same time, they have very specialized needs, which we’ll discuss here.

Carnivorous plants are tricksters that lure their prey into specially formed leaves with a sweet, sticky liquid that’s admittedly a little bit creepy. Expecting a sweet, nectar-rich treat, other creatures find their way into these traps, only to encounter toxic digestive enzymes that quickly turn them into a nutritious meal. 

These creepy carnivorous plants may be highly adapted to less than optimal conditions, but they can be high maintenance as houseplants. Let’s take a look at some blood-thirsty botanicals and what they need to thrive in your environment.

Venus Flytrap

	common name Venus Flytrap
	botanical name Dionaea muscipula
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 4”-12”
	hardiness zones 6-10

Ah, Venus, the Roman goddess of love, beauty, prosperity, and fertility. So how did her name become synonymous with one of the most notorious carnivorous plants in the world? I’ll let you draw your own conclusions about that. Suffice it to say that she’s less concerned about bringing life into the world than she is about taking it out. 

This diabolical daisy needs special care to thrive. Peat-free, poor soil is best; keep it moist but not soggy. Unlike other bloodsuckers, most of the plants in this group prefer a lot of direct light, at least six hours daily. Don’t forget to feed them fortnightly (every two weeks). Houseflies and crickets make good meals for Venus fly traps. 

Nepenthes Hamata

	common name Nepenthes Hamata
	botanical name Nepenthes hamata
	sun requirements Bright indirect light
	height Up to 23’
	hardiness zones 11-12

You might recognize this toothy terror as a type of pitcher plant. Nepenthes get their genus name for their intoxicating effect on their prey. They also go by the name monkey cups and are native to topical Sulawesi. This highly collectible plant fetches a hefty price tag due to its relative scarcity. 

Nepenthes hamata is a strong climber that finds its native habitat in high elevations. It can be terrestrial or epiphytic, growing on the side of trees. It requires high humidity and nighttime temperatures significantly lower than daytime. Don’t let the soil dry out; provide abundant bright but indirect light. 

Cobra Lily

	common name Cobra Lily
	botanical name Darlingtonia californica
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 18”-3’
	hardiness zones 7-10

What’s scarier than a three-foot cobra? If you’re an insect or other small animal, a three-foot cobra lily might take the cake. This creepy carnivorous native plant is not soil-dependent and is used to growing in harsh conditions. Heavy metals don’t bother this North American bog dweller.

An interesting and unique characteristic of this plant is the long, red, twisted structures below the bulbous portion of the stem. These can look like a long, forked tongue and add to the snakelike appearance. Give this a lot of light, but make sure to keep the roots cool and moist. 

Northern Purple Pitcher Plant

	common name Northern Purple Pitcher Plant
	botanical name Sarracenia purpurea
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 9”-18”
	hardiness zones 4-9

Another North American Native, the northern purple pitcher plant, grows in sphagnum bogs. Its tall, tubular leaves catch rain, mingling with digestive enzymes and extracting nutrients from insects that fall prey. 

The leaves, or pitchers, grow in a rosette and are green at the base, with purple veining that intensifies near the top. A mixture of acidic soil and sand makes a proper substrate. Use rainwater to keep it moist, and don’t feed this one manually. It doesn’t require numerous insects and will attract them on its own. 

Portuguese Dewy Pines

	common name Portuguese Dewy Pines
	botanical name Drosophyllum lusitanicum
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 18”-24”
	hardiness zones 9-10

Portuguese dewy pines have a reputation as showier but fussier than their drosera relations. They prefer drier soil and produce large, flashy flowers than other carnivores. These are rare in cultivation due to their difficulty caring for them, so this is not the right plant for beginners. 

Their long, curling leaves resemble the legs of an octopus, with drops of sticky, scented liquid that lures and traps its prey. It has a musky fragrance that is appealing to insects but not as much to humans. If you want to raise this complicated plant, it’s far simpler if you can attain a mature specimen. They take a long time to germinate, and it doesn’t happen simply. 

Cape Sundew

	common name Cape Sundew
	botanical name Drosera capensis
	sun requirements Full sun
	height Up to 6’
	hardiness zones 7-9

Cape sundew has some characteristics in common with the relative above, but it has a distinctive curling action used to trap prey. The thin, sticky leaves grab hold of insects and form a digestive pouch. These are famously easy to care for and germinate well from seeds.

Give your sundew a lot of humidity; it will thrive in a terrarium or greenhouse. Indoors, bright, indirect light will suffice. It can handle direct light, though, and this will help with flowering. It is relatively root hardy and will die back in Zone 6 and return in the spring. In Zones 7-9, it does well indoors or out. 

Greater Bladderwort

	common name Greater Bladderwort
	botanical name Utricularia vulgaris
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1’-3’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Greater bladderwort may look sweet and innocent, but this creepy carnivorous plant traps her prey at nearly the speed of sound! This cultivar has tiny bladders that lie in wait beneath the water. Miniscule hairs cause the bladders to open, suck in small insects, and slam shut in a matter of less than four milliseconds. Above the water, dainty yellow flowers are the only indication of what lies below.

Caring for these requires a lot of water and very little else. They thrive best outdoors in your pond or small pool. The water should be at least 18″-24″ deep, below the frost line. Slurry the water with sphagnum peat and set the plants on top. 

Mexican Butterwort

	common name Mexican Butterwort
	botanical name Pinguicula emarginata
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 6”
	hardiness zones 9-11

When it comes to ease of care, among carnivores, Mexican butterworts are a breeze. That’s comparatively, of course. They have shallow roots and are adaptable in terms of soil. Their beautiful, delicate, decorative flowers bloom best with plenty of light. 

Don’t let the soil dry out or become soggy. This carnivore is susceptible to root rot. The leaves have a coating of sticky mucilage that shimmers, attracting small insects. The insects stick to the leaves and become trapped and digested. 

Australian Pitcher Plant

	common name Australian Pitcher Plant
	botanical name Cephalotus follicularis
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3”-8”
	hardiness zones 9-10

Don’t let the grinning appearance of this carnivore fool you; it’s as savage as the rest. Australian pitcher plant is a single-species genus, and native to Australia. It is unlike other pitcher plants, and it’s known for being difficult to care for. If you’re a novice, it’s better to start somewhere else. 

The small, thumb-sized pitchers grow close to the ground. It prefers mild temperatures for most of the year and is slightly frost-tolerant. During the warmer months, it needs a temperature drop in the evening, which is a factor in how difficult it is to care for. 

Spoon-Leaved Sundew

	common name Spoon-leaved Sundew
	botanical name Drosera spatulata
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 2”-3”
	hardiness zones 8-10

Sundews are generally some of the easiest carnivorous plants to care for, and they still have plenty of creepy Halloween-worthy attributes. If you’re just getting started with this type of plant, choose one of these as a great starter. Place your sundew in a pot of poor soil and set the pot in a dish of water; this ensures your plant won’t dry out. These are bog dwellers. 

Spoon-leaved sundew is an adorably fearsome little specimen. Its small spoon-shaped leaves are adorned with fine hairs covered in dew drops of sticky liquid. Insects stick to the spoon, which closes around them and dissolves them into digestible nutrients.

King Sundew

	common name King Sundew
	botanical name Drosera regia
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height Up to 2’
	hardiness zones 9-11

King sundew is an impressive monster of a plant with long, arching leaves that can reach outward up to two feet. They grow in rosettes and can wrap in knots around larger prey when young. The dewy tentacles are deadly and beautiful. 

Because of its size, you’ll likely have to supplement its diet. Feed your king sundew every two weeks with blood worms or other bugs. Keep the soil damp during its growing season, but allow it to dry out slightly during its winter dormancy. It may die back during dormancy but will return in spring.