Carnivorous Plant Display

The Carnivorous Plant Display lurks deep in the heart of the Woodland Garden at Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens. These exotic plants exist in wet, nutrition-poor environments, and therefore have evolved to supplement their diets by trapping and eating insects.

Our inventive Gardeners used re-purposed wine barrels (North Coast Brewing Company donated a slew of barrels to the Pack Rat Yard Sale) to create a home for the new display. Brad Williams, owner and operator of Fort Bragg Carnivores, donated a majority of the plants, offered his expertise in designing a suitable home for the plants, and helped with the planting. A peat moss and sand mixture creates the boggy acidic environment necessary for them to thrive. We loaded the bottom half of the barrels with perlite to fill in the extra space not needed by these shallow rooting plants.

Rebecca Andrade donated additional Venus flytraps, forked sundews, and pitcher plants to the display in the spring of 2024. She even lent a hand planting these beauties in their new home.

We ask that you DO NOT TOUCH the plants in order to keep them healthy and happy. The extra work from opening and closing without any nutrients to consume can weaken and kill the carnivorous wonders.

VIDEOS: 

Carnivorous Plants at MCBG

Digging Deep with MCBG – Carnivorous Plants