Visiting Drew Martinez and Carnivero in Austin
Earlier this spring, our family, including my wife Alice, made the trip down to Austin, Texas, to visit my longtime friend Drew Martinez. Drew and I go back many years, we first connected when he lived in the Bay Area, and he’s passed through Colorado several times since. This trip felt like reconnecting with an old chapter of life while stepping into Drew’s present world, one filled with thousands of carnivorous plants.
The Road to Austin
This was our first big road trip after Luca was born, just four months earlier. Traveling with an infant added a new rhythm to the journey, but it made the adventure more memorable. We left Colorado Springs late in the afternoon and pushed through until about midnight, finally rolling into Amarillo, Texas. The next morning, we got an early start since Austin was still about eight hours away. By May 7, we were pulling into the city, eager to catch up with Drew.
Adventures with Drew
Drew and me in 2018 with wild S. leucophylla
Drew and I have shared countless adventures over the years, from searching for wild Sarracenia and sleeping on my sister’s couch in the Deep South to traveling to Cairns, Australia, for the 2014 ICPS conference. Though we’re competitors in the nursery world in some ways, we’ve also collaborated on exciting projects. One of the most recent is a remarkable cross: Nepenthes naga “Paul B.” × villosa. Working together on plants like this feels less like rivalry and more like a shared passion pushing the hobby forward.
Inside Carnivero
Inside Carnivero’s main greenhouse
Drew is the owner of Carnivero, one of the largest carnivorous plant nurseries in the United States. His greenhouses are massive, with rows upon rows of carefully cultivated plants. Carnivero is one of the few carnivorous plant nurseries in the country open for retail sales, a rare opportunity in the carnivorous plant world. The operation includes a specialized highland grow chamber and a state-of-the-art tissue culture facility.
It’s not just the scale of the nursery that impresses but the care and scientific precision Drew has poured into it. Tissue culture requires horticultural expertise, lab-grade equipment, and patience.
The Texas Carnivorous Plant Meetup
Nepenthes veitchii
The main reason for this trip was the Texas Carnivorous Plant Meetup on May 10. We arrived a few days early and spent time catching up with Drew and his family before joining the event. Being there with Drew, someone who has dedicated so much of his life to cultivating and advancing this community, was a reminder of how passions can grow into something bigger than you ever imagined.
Where the Past and Present Meet
Visiting Drew in Austin was more than just a reunion. It was a chance to see how a friendship that began years ago in the Bay Area has intersected with family milestones, long road trips, and shared passions. Carnivero isn’t just a nursery, it’s a testament to Drew’s vision and persistence. Sometimes the best journeys are those where friendship, family, and passion all meet in the same place.
Nepenthes trusmadiensis
Nepenthes ampullaria 'Red'
Nepenthes bicalcarata
Nepenthes naga 'Paul B.'
Nepenthes robcantleyi
Nepenthes edwardsiana
Nepenthes peltata 'Yellow Phantom'
Nepenthes northiana
Nepenthes veitchiiShop Nepenthes
Tropical pitcher plants and rare hybrids for collectors and beginners alike.