Florida's Carnivorous Plants: Understanding, Identifying, and Cultivating the State's Native Species

by Kenny Coogan

Overview

Learn about Florida's endemic carnivorous plants in this exciting book written for the budding naturalist and hobbyist. Florida has dozens of native species of carnivorous plants––more than any other state in the United States—including sundews, butterworts, bladderworts, and pitcher plants. These plants use appealing scents, leaves, and sticky fluids to trap and imprison insects. Digestive fluids then absorb the prey giving the plant its nutrients. Many of these plants can be grown at home in the backyard, in rain gardens, or in some cases on the windowsill.

Florida’s Carnivorous Plants provides an identification and growing guide for the major genera of carnivorous plants found in Florida. Each species description includes etymology, a history of the plant’s discovery highlighting diverse scientists, anatomy, habitat range, and popular cultivars for beginners. Tables include soil requirements, types of potting, water level, amount of light, dormancy and temperature requirements, and propagation tips. A glossary provides readers with the tools to learn botanical jargon to improve their identification skills.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781683342977
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	10/01/2022
Pages:	112
Sales rank:	269,745
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 9.80(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Kenny Coogan has a master’s degree in Global Sustainability and is passionate about Florida's wildlife and plants. His professional experience with carnivorous plants started in 2011 when he cofounded the Western New York Carnivorous Plant club. He has published over 400 articles on pets, livestock, and gardening for publications including Countryside, Hobby Farms, Chickens, Backyard Beekeeping, Backyard Poultry, and Florida Gardening magazines. Coogan is an active member with the International Carnivorous Plant Society. He currently runs a successful carnivorous plant nursery in Tampa, Florida.

Table of Contents

Foreword vi

Preface vii

Carnivorous Plants 1

Carnivorous Plant Life Cycle 3

Plant versus Animal Digestion 5

Evolution 5

Taxonomy 6

Florida's Carnivorous Plants 11

Draining the Swamp 13

Women's Work 14

Scientific Progress 17

Ecosystems 18

Growing Carnivorous Plants 21

Bogs and Containers 21

Fertilizers 26

Dormancy 26

Light 27

Pests 27

Soil 28

Water 28

Carnivorous Plants as Insecticides 29

Venus Flytraps 31

North American Pitcher Plants 39

Sarracenia alabamensis subsp. wherryi 43

Sarracenia flava 44

Sarracenia leucophylla 46

Sarracenia minor 47

Sarracenia psittacina 49

Sarracenia rosea 50

Sarracenia rubra subsp. gulfensis 53

Bladderworts 57

Utricularia amethystina 59

Utricularia cornuta 60

Utricularia floridana 60

Utricularia foliosa 61

Utricularia gibba 61

Utricularia inflata 61

Utricularia juncea 62

Utricularia olivacea 62

Utricularia purpurea 62

Utricularia radiata 63

Utricularia resupinata 63

Utricularia simulans 63

Utricularia striata 64

Utricularia subulata 64

Butterworts 69

Pinguicula caerulea 71

Pinguicula ionantha 71

Pinguicula, lutea 72

Pinguicula pianifolia 73

Pinguicula primuliflora 74

Pinguicula pumila 75

Sundews 77

Drosera brevifolia 78

Drosera capillaris 78

Drosera filiformis var. floridana 79

Drosera intermedia 80

Drosera tracyi 81

Powdery Strap Air Plant 83

Conservation 85

Who Cares? 88

Cultivation's Role in Conservation 89

Sybilline Books 93

Growing Guide 95

Glossary 99

Index 101

About the Author 103

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“With its unique habitats and seasonable variability, Florida is home to more species of carnivorous plants than any other American state. Kenny Coogan has captured this impressive roster of species with approachable text and superb images, and in doing so has made it possible for naturalists, carnivorous plant enthusiasts and botanists to identify specimens in the field and understand their ecology and cultivation requirements. This book is an important addition to our store of knowledge on these wonderful plants.” – Richard Nunn, President, International Carnivorous Plant Society "Florida's Carnivorous Plants is a wonderful and informative work covering the taxonomy, biology, evolution and care of these unique plant species!" – Alexis Caffrey, Director, Kanapaha Botanical Gardens “Kenny Coogan both inspires and educates us. This book provides an accessible, engaging and comprehensive dive into Florida’s carnivorous plants. Kenny covers a lot of ground exploring the history of our understanding of carnivorous plants, a journey through different Florida ecosystems, practical information about growing and caring for carnivorous plants and even design ideas. A fantastic resource for the carnivorous plant enthusiast.” – Tricia Martin, Director of Visitor Engagement, Bok Tower Gardens “In 32 years of teaching, I’ve never met a student who could resist learning about carnivorous plants. I recommend using this wonderful book in your science classrooms; it’s a great way to highlight the important concepts of adaptation and evolution.” – Bertha Vazquez, Director, Teacher Institute for Evolutionary Science “Kenny shares his vast knowledge of growing carnivorous plants with his passion for conserving them in their natural habitats. This book will be enjoyed by both gardeners and Florida native plant conservationists.” – Virginia Overstreet, President, Suncoast Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society “The foundational information on carnivorous plants and plant biology is so approachable and essential for learning to care for these very special species.” – Georgea Snyder, Executive Director, The Sustainable Living Project “Florida's Carnivorous Plants is at once a beautifully illustrated field guide, a very practical how-to-manual, an adventure of a history book, and a hope-inspiring critique of regional development with realistic suggestions for how we can make things better... but it is also and most movingly a personal love story.   It is a love story that I'm sure will make you, too, fall in love with these odd and precious denizens of our imperiled State. It rekindled my own fascination with the natural history of these "flesh-eating" beauties whom I first encountered in the swamp forests and fields of Borneo decades ago, which made me think somehow that they were always exotic. Now that I know they are a major, if too often overlooked, part of our Florida ecosystem, and can appreciate their vital role in our ecology, I will now follow Kenny Coogan's heroic lead and put my own teeth into the fight to save Florida's carnivorous plants.  I urge everyone with an interest in natural history to read this book, and I hope you will come to similar conclusions! " – Dr. Thomas H. Culhane, Director, Climate Mitigation and Adaptation, Associate Professor of Global Sustainability, University of South Florida “Kenny’s book Florida’s Carnivorous Plants is noteworthy in that it carefully addresses the historical and present day threats to the ecosystems vital for these wonderful plants. The book smoothly ushers you along and explains, in detail, the care and maintenance needed to succeed in ownership of these weird and wonderful plants.” - Cynthia L. Tomerlin, Education Coordinator, Harry P. Leu Gardens