Adult Venus Flytrap

A Venus flytrap is a good answer to the friend who thinks plants are just furniture that needs watering. The 3-inch net pot holds this adult-sized carnivorous plant, so expect small-scale botanical weirdness, not a leafy statement piece. Anyone who finds caring for an unusual plant more interesting than arranging another succulent will get the most out of it.

It ships bare-root, with loose sphagnum moss supplied for potting. That means there’s a little setup involved before it settles into its new home. You get a full-page care sheet, a separate FAQ sheet and a potting diagram written by Joel, the owner of Joel’s Carnivorous Plants. Helpful reading for a gift with more specific needs than “water occasionally.”

Give it a sunny spot, open air and water with very few dissolved impurities. No humidity dome required. This is a living project for a curious plant person, not a desk ornament you can forget about.