Killer Plants: Growing and Caring for Flytraps, Pitcher Plants, and Other Deadly Flora

by Molly Williams

Explore the darker side of nature with this accessible guide to choosing, growing, and caring for carnivorous and predatory plants like Venus flytraps, pitcher plants, sundews, and other spooky guys.

Carnivorous they're weird, they're gorgeous, and they're the perfect addition to your urban jungle of pothos, snake plants, and succulents. However, they can also be intimidating to grow and care for. Let Killer Plants be your guide as it walks you through the different types of carnivorous plants and how to keep each variety alive and well.

The book answers the many questions you may have surrounding these freaks of nature, such
Where the heck do I buy a pitcher plant? Can I grow it from a seed?
Do I need to feed my carnivorous plant flies, or can it survive on water and light alone?What carnivorous plants are safe to have around pets and kids?
I have a gnat problem -- what predatory plant can help?

Genres: Nonfiction, Gardening, Plants, Science

160 pages, Hardcover

Published September 29, 2020

Reviews

[Quirkyreader]

I’m glad I read this before starting the dormant Venus Fly Trap and Pitcher Plant I received as a gift.

This book is a good introduction and guide for carnivorous plant newbies.

Looks like I’m getting ready for a plant adventure.

[Gina]

Very informational source for taking care of carnivorous plants and even includes facts about other deadly plants. I really liked the illustrations but I did wish it had actual photos of the plants.

I also learned I will never own any of these plants.

[Aeothaine]

Honestly not sure what this is other than a #urbanjungle stocking stuffer. Not quite enough information about the plants to really be a longterm reference, for example it won't tell you the Nepenthes hybrid it recommends will become an 8' vine. While I like the illustrations at face value they are very sparse and are never used in to convey any horticultural information. Not only is this book too text heavy but a lot of this is white on light red background, which is unpleasant to read and for someone with visual impairments could easily be a dealbreaker. Overall a decent introduction, but not nearly as good as it could have been with more graphics and species specific details.

[Viviane Elbee]

I really enjoyed reading this book, which gives some introductory info about carnivorous plants. There’s a basic description of a large variety of carnivorous plants, a sprinkling of trivia concerning each plant (including historical references, if the plants are vulnerable, threatened or endangered, and geographical presence), and tips for growing and caring for each plant. At the end of the book, there’s also a great list of resources for organizations dedicated to carnivorous plants and shops that sell them.

However, depending on which plant you want to get for your home or garden, you may want to get other books with greater in-depth tips about care for that plant. A lot of these plants seem like they’ll be tricky to care for, and the basic info provided in this introductory overview might not be enough.

I also would have liked real photos of each plant as opposed to the stylized drawings, but I will likely check out other books, hopefully with pictures!

[Rev]

4.5 stars rounded down, if only because there aren't any actual pictures in this book so that you can see what the plants look like in nature. The illustrations give you an idea but aren't as good as pictures imo.

That being said, I loved the tone of this book. The author clearly knows her stuff and she put forth the information in a very easy to digest way. The book is littered with asides that include how-tos such as setting a mini bog and propagating a butterwort. The back of the book is also teeming with references for carnivorous plant societies and retailers, both online and brick-and-mortar.

Definitely recommend.

[Barrita]

Tiene información general acerca de las plantas carnívoras y sus características, así conmigo secciones de cuidados específicos para ciertas especies y uno que otro dato curioso.

Las instrucciones de cuidado son muy similares entre casi todas las especies y no tan extensas, quizá parecido a lo que uno encontraría en páginas web para principiantes, pero las ilustraciones son muy bonitas y me agrada tener un pequeño libro de referencia ahora que comienzo en este mundo tan fascinante de las plantas carnívoras.

[MKF]

DNF

When I saw this book I wasn't expecting a textbook that doesn't even have photos of the plants. Instead there are this really dumb illustrations that show no real details and were only a peach like color and black. I would have expected the illustrations to be more realistic or at least with some color. The rest of the book is all text that drags on and on and though the author is saying a lot it still feels like in the plant section she isn't actually saying a lot about them. In the end this book is for decoration and probably not a go to for growing these plant.

[Kayla]

This book was so cool! Was not disappointed. I learned so many new and interesting things about carnivorous plants - and even added a new favorite to my plant repertoire! I wish I had a green thumb because if I did, then I would totally begin adding carnivorous plants to my garden. Though the wording tended to be repetitive, the information was useful and probably worth repeating.

[Kara]

I liked the info but it was somewhat repetitive. I found phrases repeated within the same section on the same plant. While the concept of red black and white was well designed and fun, I would have rather seen plain line drawings of the plants. I still have no idea what most of them look like because the pictures weren't clear.

[Amber Ray]

It’s a nice introduction to carnivorous plants. It’s basically Carnivorous 101. The information about species is nice but photographs and more how-to information would have made this much more useful.

[giulisbookshop]

curioso, illuminante ed estremamente divertente: leggere di mostriciattoli che divorano insetti e piccoli animali (sì, avete capito bene) è una vera gioia e un nutrimento immenso per la mente, ho scoperto delle curiosità folli 🍽️

[Luke Poston]

A great short read for those wanting to learn more about carnivores plants. My qualms with the book are that it could be even more streamlined, and that I wish it had photos of the plants. Overall a good read and it will make a good reference!

[Elaine]

Pretty good source of beginner-friendly information on various kinds of carnivorous plants, including rarer species. Would appreciate a little less "fluff" (unrelated info) though!

[Jace Ferguson]

A very informative book with beautiful block-print illustrations and bold layout.

[Sarah Eckstein]

Beautiful book! Great information to get started on caring for carnivorous plants!

[Janey Dangerous]

I can now attempt to grow and keep a venus fly trap, horray!

[Bryn Grover]

A fun look at killer plants. The focus is more on the care of said plants than anything else. Perfect for a gardner who wants to play with killer plants.

[Meg Mirza]

The author’s bloodthirsty enthusiasm for a wide variety of carnivorous treasures is extremely amusing. This is an exhaustive guide for a very specific kind of plant - reading it helped me understand why all the Venus Fly Traps I’ve been bringing home from big box stores meet an untimely end. She makes a good case for why these plants need to be babied in a very certain way. Two-tone retro illustrations lend a timeless feel to this small volume.

[Andy Gooding-Call]

I got this as a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. It was certainly interesting and entertaining, and the resources at the back were useful. However, the lack of actual photographs made the book critically difficult to use. I kept Googling the plants it was discussing to get a better idea of what it was talking about. Can’t fault it for style, though. It’s really well designed.

[Hannah Jones]

I've been looking into expanding my houseplant collection (32 and counting!) to include carnivorous plants and this book was the perfect prep to be a good plant parent. Bonus (read in October): spooky season vibes!