DO gently touch the leaves and feel the sticky surface.

DO place your plant near a window where it will get good bright light without direct sun.

DO provide high humidity around your plant. If humidity is 50% or greater, remove your plant from the plastic box.  If the leaves roll very tightly, humidity may be too low.

DO watch as bugs will crawl through the vent holes to visit your plant. Count the gooey black spot remains of dead insects on the leaves each day, to see how many more bugs the plant ate!

DO plant it in a terrarium or large glass to make a carnivorous garden. Keep the partially-closed terrarium OUT of direct sunlight to prevent overheating.

DO water often. Never allow the soil to dry out completely. Starfish plants are native to areas where the soil is constantly moist from springs, along river banks, and areas perpetually bathed in fog. Because of this, Starfish Plants have one of the most poorly developed root systems of any of the carnivorous plant species. The delicate white roots are fleshy, fragile, and often very shallow.

DO experiment feeding your plant various types of food and watch to see if the leaf curls, or if the color changes. Place small 1/16th inch balls of test foods on the leaves and observe.

DON’T use any kind of water except distilled or rain water. Other types of water contain natural salts that will burn the edges of the leaves.

DON’T be surprised if your plant blooms! In your home, Starfish Plants can bloom all year, rewarding you with dainty purple or white single flowers that resemble nodding trumpets. The purple flowering strains such as “Titan” have a pleasant baby powder-like frangrance.

DON’T be alarmed if older leaves turn brown and die. This is normal. New leaves will form in the center.

DON’T be concerned about fertilizing your Starfish Plant. It feeds itself! However, fertilizing your plant twice during the summer with a liquid plant food, diluted to half recommended houseplant strength, will help your plant grow faster, bloom more, and stay greener.