The Carnivorous Plant That’s Taking Over TikTok—and Five of its Hungry Friends

This Venus flytrap looks like a real sweetie, right? She’s actually a calculating murderer who counts how many times her prey moves before she kills. Little sensory hairs in the plant’s alluring pink center wait for five movements before Venus shuts her jaws for good. All the better to not eat, say, a rock or some curious kid’s stick. Once the mini-jail is shut, digestive enzymes take over, and the bug will be nevermore.

Care: Venus Flytraps like bright light—a South-facing window is best. They also appreciate humidity so consider a terrarium. Flytraps go dormant in the winter, and how to care for them during dormancy depends on your zone. The plant will look dead, and the leaves turn black. (Because why shouldn’t plants get extra spooky?) But if you trim them to the rhizome, your flytrap will grow new little murderers in a few months.

Often labeled incorrectly as “alata” by garden centers and grocery stores, the Nepenthes ventrata hybrid is quick-growing, tolerant, colorful, and is easy to propagate from vine cuttings. It’s perfect for beginners and experts alike, and a good way to experiment with different growing conditions. This sensual plant doesn’t have a picky palette; it eats flies, moths, wasps, butterflies, beetles, and ants.

Care: Nepenthes ventrata will appreciate bright light from a window that’s not facing north. Nepenthes are tropical plants, meaning they need warm temperatures year-round. Be careful of overwatering, and let the soil stay moist but not wet.

A variety of Nepenthes, also known as the pitcher plant, is pictured above.

They say all Nepenthes Dyeriana plants are the descendants of a single male cultivar produced during the Victorian era. Nepenthes truncate, meanwhile, is one of the largest carnivorous plants in the world and grows traps that can be over 16 inches long. Some have been documented devouring lizards and small rats. (On TikTok, a pitcher plant that’s almost completely digested a mouse is not for the faint of heart—we’ll let you scroll to find it.)

Care: Nepenthes are tropical plants, meaning they need bright light and warm temperatures year-round. Be careful of overwatering, and let the soil stay moist but not wet.

Drocena natalensis flower frequently, can turn a ruby red color, and self-pollinate. Also known as sundews, if yours are well cared for, expect to see them popping up in nearby pots. (If that’s the case, consider giving some away.)

Care: Bright light is a must in order to get a beautiful red coloration. This plant does best in a south-facing windowsill. Keep moist at all times and don’t let it get cold.

Like succulents from outer space, Pinguicula (also known as butterworts) catch small insects on their sticky leaves and are a great solution for fungus gnats, midges, aphids, and fruit flies. With 46 known species and countless unnamed (the one above is a Pinguicula esseriana, AKA a Mexican butterwort), there are numerous hybrids to seek out. Many, like the Pinguicula ‘Pirouette’, grow flowers that are pleasingly orchid-esque.

Care: For an interesting display, grow these plants alongside your other succulents. Butterworts prefer bright light from an east-, south-, or west-facing windowsill. Let these plants sit a little bit in between waterings. (Never let them stand in water or they could rot.) Reduce watering in winter, but keep temperatures warm year-round.

Drosera capensis grows large and fast, looks like it belongs underwater, and its sticky tentacles move dramatically when the plant is fed. Also known as the Cape sundew, it tolerates temperatures from freezing to the high 90s, and, with proper care, will reward you with stalks of purple flowers. Each flower will produce hundreds of seeds, so don’t be surprised if it starts popping up in pots nearby.

Care: Bright light is a must to get this plant to thrive, so it’s best for a south-facing windowsill. Keep moist at all times. To avoid dormancy, keep in a room that says above 60 degrees.