The Most Underrated Houseplant? I'm Voting for the Pitcher Plant.

If you've visited fdp studio+shop or follow along on Instagram, you already know I have a bit of a plant problem. Every empty corner eventually ends up with a pot full of something leafy.

What I don't love is remembering which plant likes to dry out, which one wants weekly fertilizer, and which one dramatically collapses because I watered it on Tuesday instead of Wednesday.

Then there are the bugs.

Which is exactly why my pitcher plants have become some of my favorite plants in the shop.

Parents aren't supposed to have favorites, but as a plant parent, my pitcher plants definitely have a special place in my heart.

They've quietly become the easiest plants we own. I've plopped them right in our sunny front window, keep them sitting in a shallow tray of water, and they happily catch the little flying

bugs that always seem to torment the other houseplants.

As someone who chronically overwaters plants, I also appreciate that this is one species that actually likes wet feet. While most houseplants would complain, pitcher plants are perfectly happy sitting in a shallow pool of water, much like they would in their native bog habitats.

Now, I should probably confess something. Every care guide will tell you to water them only with rainwater, distilled water, or reverse osmosis water because minerals in tap water can build up over time. Mine have been drinking straight from the tap for years. Would a botanist approve? Probably not. Have they continued making beautiful pitchers and eating bugs anyway? Absolutely.

The Very Few Downsides

No plant is perfect. Pitcher plants have one funny flaw. They have eyes bigger than their stomachs. The nectar they produce attracts more flying insects than they can actually eat. In a sunny room, greenhouse, or screened porch, they're wonderful. On an open patio, though, they'll attract more visitors than they can handle, so don't expect them to clear your backyard barbecue.

Their second small weakness is fruit flies. If fruit flies are your biggest annoyance, a sticky sundew is a better carnivorous plant. Or just put out a small bowl of apple cider vinegar with a drop of dish soap. It isn't as pretty, but it works.

A Few Quick Care Tips

• Bright light is the secret. A sunny window keeps the pitchers coming.

• Keep the soil consistently wet. North American pitcher plants actually enjoy sitting in a shallow tray of water.

• Don't use fertilizer or regular potting soil. These plants evolved in nutrient-poor bogs and really don't want the extra help.

• Don't panic when an older pitcher turns brown. Let the whole leaf die back before trimming it away.

  
  

That's really about it. They're unusual, surprisingly easy to grow, and they help keep the shop's flying bugs under control. For me, they're just about the perfect houseplant.

Our Family of Pitcher Plants Snatching Bugs from the Shop Window

P.S. Our Favorite Patio Trick

We swear by the Commonwealth Provisions citronella incense cones. They smell wonderful, last a long time, and they're a lot nicer to look at than a giant citronella candle covered in bugs. Two or three tins usually keep us bug-free through an entire season of summer suppers.