Stylidium, better known as triggerplants, are small, charming plants with one of the coolest party tricks in the plant world. Most come from Australia. They grow as small clumps of leaves and send up stalks of pretty little flowers, and each flower hides a spring-loaded "trigger" that snaps over to slap pollen onto visiting insects. Their flower stalks are also covered in sticky hairs that catch tiny bugs. Triggerplants are easy and beginner friendly, and they're grown the same way as terrestrial bladderworts. This guide covers everything in plain language.
Quick care summary
- Light: Low to medium light, such as a bright windowsill, or a grow light on 14–16 hours a day.
- Water: Distilled, rain or reverse osmosis (RO) water, or any water with a TDS under 100. Keep the soil wet at all times; the pot can sit in a tray of water 24/7.
- Soil: Pure peat or peat and perlite.
- Temperature: A minimum of 40°F, ideally above 60°F.
- Winter: Stylidium debile doesn't go dormant. Some other species do.
The trigger: how triggerplants pollinate
Each flower has a touch-sensitive part called the column. When an insect lands on the flower and touches it, the column snaps over in a fraction of a second and slaps pollen onto the insect's back. When that insect visits the next flower, it carries the pollen along, so the plant gets pollinated. After a little while, the column resets and is ready to go again.
Are triggerplants carnivorous?
Triggerplants are protocarnivorous. Their flower stalks are covered in tiny sticky, glandular hairs that catch small bugs, like a miniature sundew. The trigger itself is for pollination, not for catching food.
Light
Triggerplants like low to medium light. A bright windowsill counts as low to medium light. High light means direct, unfiltered sun all day, and triggerplants don't need that. A bright windowsill or a spot under a grow light works well. If your plant isn't flowering, more light is usually the fix.
Growing triggerplants under grow lights
Triggerplants grow great indoors under a grow light. Run your light about 14–16 hours a day. Which light should you get? For most people, I suggest Barrina T8 shelf lights or Sansi grow lights. They're affordable and give plenty of light for a shelf of plants. Bigger brands like Mars Hydro and Spider Farmer work too, but they're way more powerful than most home growers need, so they're usually a waste of money unless you're lighting a large area. For more detail, see our guide to lighting for carnivorous plants.
Water
Tap water and bottled drinking water contain minerals that build up and harm these plants. Use only:
- Distilled water (cheap at most grocery stores)
- Rainwater
- Reverse osmosis (RO) water
Any water with a TDS reading under 100 is fine too.
Keep the soil wet at all times. The pot can sit in a tray of water 24/7, which makes triggerplants very low maintenance.
Soil
Use pure peat or peat and perlite. Never use regular potting soil or anything with added fertilizer.
Temperature
Keep triggerplants at a minimum of 40°F, and ideally above 60°F. They can handle cooler temperatures, but growth slows down. A normal home is usually just fine.
Dormancy
There are many kinds of Stylidium, and some of them go dormant for part of the year, a bit like Venus flytraps. These seasonal types die back and rest before growing again.
Stylidium debile, the one we sell, does not go dormant. Indoors under a grow light on 14–16 hours a day, it keeps growing all year.
Ordering in the cold months? Add a shipping heat pack to help protect your plant in transit.
Feeding and fertilizer
You don't need to feed your triggerplant. The sticky hairs catch tiny bugs on their own, and like other plants, it gets most of its energy from light.
Want to fertilize? A foliar spray of MaxSea 16-16-16 works well, diluted to 1/4–1/2 strength and sprayed every other week or so. Get a small amount of MaxSea in our shop, or a full-size bag on Amazon.
Common problems
Why isn't my triggerplant flowering?
Usually not enough light. Move it to a brighter spot or closer to its grow light.
Why is my triggerplant drying out or shrinking?
Triggerplants need wet soil all the time. Keep the pot sitting in a tray of water, and refill it before it runs dry.
My trigger won't snap. Is it broken?
Probably not. After it snaps, the column needs a little while to reset before it will go again.
Choosing a triggerplant
We grow Stylidium debile, the frail triggerplant. It's easy, beginner friendly and doesn't go dormant. Find more unusual plants in our other carnivorous plants collection, or see the bladderwort care guide for plants grown the same way.
Every triggerplant ships potted in a 2.5" pot, ready to grow. During cold months, add a shipping heat pack to help protect your plant in transit.
Triggerplant care FAQ
Are triggerplants hard to grow?
No. Give them pure water, wet soil and decent light.
How does the trigger work?
A touch-sensitive column in the flower snaps over when an insect touches it, slapping pollen onto the insect so it carries the pollen to the next flower.
Are triggerplants carnivorous?
They're protocarnivorous. Sticky hairs on the flower stalks catch small bugs.
Do triggerplants go dormant?
Some species do, but Stylidium debile doesn't. It keeps growing all year indoors under a grow light.
Can I use tap water?
No. Use distilled, rain or RO water, or any water with a TDS under 100.