Q: Can I grow carnivorous plants in my garden?

• Sarracenia rubra
• Sarracenia alata

A: I don't know, because I don't know where you live. If you live in an area with humid summers (50% relative humidity or greater) and winters where hard freezes rarely (if ever) occur, you may be able to grow them in your yard.

When I say that, I don't mean you can plant them in your garden next to your petunias, roses, and daffodils (or whatever you have in your garden). It is exceedingly likely that your plant will die so fast your head will spin. This is because the soil is probably completely wrong in acidity, moisture, and nutrient level.

However, if you have an extremely sunny place in your yard---full sun with no shade---you could put a deep tray there, fill it with a few inches of purified water, and drop your pot in there like a hollywood star enjoying a private pool.

If you are more ambitious, perhaps a backyard bog would be a solution for you? Dig a hole in your yard (a big hole), put a plastic wading pool in it, then use your little pool to make a bog!

Recall that carnivorous plants have not been bred with an eye on making them easier to grow in gardens. Because of this, they are not very forgiving garden plants. If your garden is very much like the wild habitat these plants normally grow in (that is, the water content, soil type, pH, humidity, temperature ranges, etc., all are like the natural habitat) then they will thrive. This is unlikely, however.

Most enthusiasts grow plants in terraria or greenhouses.

Page citations: Rice, B.A. 2006a; personal observations.