The 15th International Carnivorous Plant Society Conference

Looking back

Three days of conference

From 21 to 23 August 2026, the Hortus Botanicus Leiden hosted the 15th ICPS Conference, bringing together growers, researchers and enthusiasts of carnivorous plants from around the world. The conference opening marked the 40th anniversary of Werkgroep Carnivora. Three days of lectures and themed sessions closed with a forum led by Rogier van Vught and Fernando Rivadavia.

Three days of excursions

From 24 to 26 August, participants joined three days of excursions to Dutch nurseries and botanical gardens, meeting expert growers and seeing carnivorous plants in habitat.

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Speakers

The 2026 programme

• Barbara Gravendeel — Official opening
• Alexander Dietrick — Towards a comprehensive phylogeny of Tropical African Drosera: A target enrichment approach
• Olivia Murrell — Critical Carnivores: The conservation potential of ex situ collections of Nepenthes
• Dr. Mathias Scharmann — What Genomics Reveals About the Evolution of Carnivorous Plants
• Damien Jouen — Genlisea
• Dr. Vivian Negron-Ortiz, Dr. Richard Moore & Megan Keyser — Genetics, Hybridization, and Conservation of Several Sarracenia species Endemic to the Southeastern United States
• Philip Esseen — Nepenthes Action Planning in the Philippines
• John van der Werf — Vleesetende planten in de Nederlandse natuur
• Robert Cantley — The Role of ex-situ Breeding and Tissue Culture in the Conservation of Carnivorous Plants
• Meredith Griffith — The Pinguiculas of Ecuador
• Laurens Eggen — Sarraceniaceae van Noord-Amerika
• James Haig Streeter — The Carnivorous Plant Tree of Life
• Thilo Krueger — Solving the mystery of pollination in antennae-flowered Utricularia

No plant is an island

On Saturday afternoon, four themed sessions explored the tension between passion and responsibility in the carnivorous plant world, each led by two speakers across two rounds.

• The Irony of the Field — Marcel van den Broek & Fernando Rivadavia
• Classify or Experience — François Mey & Mateusz Wrazidlo
• Inspire versus Protect — Kenny Coogan & Hendré Barnard
• New Forms, Old Origins — Miroslav Srba & Andreas Wistuba

The four themes came together in a closing forum, led by Rogier van Vught (head of horticulture, Hortus Botanicus Leiden) and Fernando Rivadavia.

Workshops

Hands-on at the Hortus

Visitors could join two hands-on workshops during the conference.

Create a Mexican Butterwort Rock

Hosted by Sandra van den Brom. Participants built their own miniature rock arrangement planted with Mexican Pinguicula, to take home.

Botanical Drawing: Mini Workshop Sarracenia

Hosted by Marloes Vreeburg. A botanical artist guided participants through drawing a Sarracenia pitcher in graphite.

Excursions

Three days, three destinations

• 24 August — Nursery CarniFlora (Justin van Kessel) and a boat trip to Dutch carnivorous plants in habitat
• 25 August — Nursery Corn. Bak (Peter Bak) and Amsterdam Botanical Garden
• 26 August — Nursery Peaty Pitchers (Laurens Eggen) and botanical garden Jochemhof

Diners

Friday Welcome Dinner

On Friday 21 August, conference participants gathered for an informal welcome dinner at De Waag, Aalmarkt 21, Leiden.

Conference Dinner

On Saturday 22 August, the Conference Dinner brought participants together for an outdoor barbecue in the Hortus Botanicus Leiden, cooked live on the Ofyr fire grill.

Plant Market

The sellers of ICPS 2026

Download map (PDF) →

🇳🇱 The Netherlands

Araflora · Marloes Vreeburg Botanical Illustrations · Peaty Pitchers

🇩🇪 Germany

Green Jaws · Wistuba.com · Fabio Pires’s Carnivorous Garden · Nils Plants

🇫🇷 France

François Sockhom Mey · zigzagia_les_herbes_folles · Cédric Carnivores

🇮🇹 Italy

Diflora · Esotik Garden · DC Carnivores

🇨🇿 Czech Republic

CarniForYou

🇪🇸 Spain

Carniplants

On Saturday, also joining

Oliver Gluch / Peter Harbarth · Gruene Monster · Phito Carnivores · Mateusz Wrazidlo Book Sale · Mukibelarra, plant jewelry by Christian Duran · Joachim Nerz