Venus fly traps are carnivorous plants that prefer a climate high in humidity. For best growth, you should provide enough moisture to keep roots damp and provide access to full sun. The small plant has jaw-like, hinged leaves that capture and digest insects. For best results, plant them in pots that have bottom drainage holes. Venus flytraps should be watered with warm water. They enjoy rich soil or commercial African violet mix, however, They can grow in very poor soils because its nutritional needs are supplemented by the insects it consumes. Insects are attracted by the plant's sweet-scented leaves. The jaws of the plant are lined with sensitive hairs, which signal the plant to snap shut when its prey lands. Acids in the plant slowly dissolve the insects. This plant typically grows to be 3 to 6 inches tall. It produces white flowers in June. Each leaf grows a trap on the end. The inside of each trap is either red or green. The color depends on the amount of sunlight the plant receives. Traps open every 5 to 14 days and die after they have opened 2 to 4 times.

Carnivorous pitcher plants enjoy acidic soils in savannas, bogs, swamps and meadows. Pitcher plants prefer nitrogen-deficient and acidic soils. They live in areas that are prone to fires, and can survive fire under some circumstances.Pitcher plants resemble their name: they look like pitchers. Inside the elongated structure is a pool of water. Decaying insects that have been trapped inside, along with nectar from the "lid," attract flies, beetles, butterflies and other insects to the plant. The plant's flowers are the color of raw meat, which further serves to attract flies.Once inside, many insects find it difficult to exit the structure, so they eventually drown in the liquid. The interior walls are waxy and slippery, and there are hairs toward the top that aid in keeping the prey trapped. The plant's enzymes digest the meal and the plant is then able to absorb the nutrients. Some insects and animals live harmoniously with pitcher plants. Some predators, like spiders, use the lid to hide under, and some insect larvae, like mosquitoes, live inside the pitcher plant itself. Ants that die inside the plant are used for their decaying scent to attract other prey. Sometimes small frogs will hide in pitcher plants, eating flies that are attracted to the plant.

Octopus plants, also known as drosera or sundews. They get their nutrients by trapping insects, which allows the plants to live in poor soil. Do not use potting soil for your octopus plant. This soil is too rich in nutrients for the plant. Instead, use two parts sphagnum peat moss to one part sand. Octopus plants thrive in boggy conditions where the soil is moist all the time. Keep your octopus plant hydrated and do not allow its soil to dry out. Check the soil regularly and water as needed to keep it moist. Octopus plants enjoy full sunlight. They also need access to insects for their meals. Keep octopus plants near an open window in warm weather if you plan to keep the plant in the house. Octopus plants have tiny red hairs with droplets at the tips to attract insects and tentacles to smother those insects. Droplets on the tips of the hairs appear to be water drops, but are sticky when touched. Octopus plants that are grown in containers as houseplants need high humidity and lots of water to keep the soil wet and soggy. However, the plants should be given distilled water or rain water. Tap water has chemicals, which can slowly kill the octopus plant.