Killer Plants and the People Who Adore Them: An Insight into the New England Carnivorous Plant Society

You might be familiar with the Venus flytrap or Audrey from Little Shop of Horrors, but how well do you know Nepenthes rajah? This carnivorous plant gets its name from the Greeks. Loosely translated, it means ‘no pain’ and references a drug Helen of Troy gave to Telemachus, son of Odysseus, forcing him to forget his troubles. Helen’s drug may be fictional, but Nepenthes rajah, a large insect-eating pitcher plant, has captured the attention of some botanical enthusiasts here in Rhode Island.

The New England Carnivorous Plant Society (NECPS) is an 80-member-strong group based here in RI and boasts a whopping 1,000 subscribers to their newsletter. Meetings are held monthly at the Roger Williams Botanical Center where, after formalities such as accounting and business, a lecture or discussion takes place such as the one in March titled, Scientific Advances with Darwin’s “Most Wonderful Plants in the World.” Bonded together over their love of the botanically obscure, members such as Franklin Meglio, a microbiologist for RI Department of Health, and NECPS president, Dave Sackett, a director of finance, enjoy sharing their common interest in carnivorous plants. “They are a novelty, an evolutionary twist, turning the tables on what eats and what is eaten,” says Sackett. “We love to share what we know with others,” said Meglio.    

On a frigid Saturday in February, I spent some time with NECPS as they cleaned the carnivorous plant bog at the Roger Williams Botanical Center. The oxygen-rich air was warm and a winter jacket was blissfully not needed as I asked members to describe a common misconception about their beloved killer plants. Sackett was quick to say, “Don’t feed them hamburger.” Meglio added, “We don’t eat what they eat, and they don’t eat what we eat.” Sackett countered, “Well, some people eat crickets …” Insects, it seems, are the mainstay of these fascinating plants. Meglio explained, “Nectar inside the pitcher plant makes the insects woozy, then they drop down inside where they drown in the acid-filled water.” It seems the plants derive the nutrients they need from their prey, dissolving their tiny bodies like a scene from a horror film.

The group described themselves as “friendlier than ‘certain’ orchid societies” here in Rhode Island and seemed eager to share their passion for plant oddities with anyone interested in learning more. “We become better growers when we share and learn from others,” said Meglio who explained the Sarracenia, also known as the trumpet plant, can be grown right here in any boggy, Rhode Island backyard. “A lot of us have these at home,” said Sackett. “People are surprised by the fact that carnivorous plants are easy to grow. They are found from tropical to mountainous areas.”

Think you’d like to have a killer plant of your own? You’re in good company. Spend some time on their website (necps.org) or attend one of their monthly meetings. Details can be found on their website’s event calendar page. Or, better yet, mark your calendar for their upcoming, 15th Annual NECPS Carnivorous Plant Show at Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston, Mass. Last year, more than 2,000 attendees turned up, so you won’t be alone in your quest to learn more about these wondrous killer plants.