Florida’s Carnivorous Plants: Understanding, Identifying, and Cultivating the State’s Native Species
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.
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 fifteen years ago when he cofounded the Western New York Carnivorous Plant club. Since then he has moved to Florida to teach middle school science and agriculture. He was awarded the Best Beginning Science Teacher for the state of Florida. He has published over 400 articles on pets, livestock, and gardening for publications including Countryside, Hobby Farms, Chickens, Backyard Poultry, and Florida Gardening magazines. Coogan is an active member with the International Carnivorous Plant Society, serving as the Education Director. He now runs a successful carnivorous plant nursery in Tampa, Florida.
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Publisher: Pineapple Press
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Testimonials:
“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
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
“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 opens up a new world of greenery for gardeners to explore. Most of us never realized the state is so full of meat eating plants and where you can find them. Try growing some of these if you wish but at least enjoy how they survive in their Florida environment. Florida’s Carnivorous plants is a must addition to your favorite plant guides.” – Tom MacCubbin, Orlando Sentinel Columnist of 49 years, Extension Agent Emeritus with the University of Florida and Retired 33 year Radio Host of Better Lawns and Gardens
“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
