Venus Flytraps
The Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) grows wild in just one place: the bogs within about 90 miles of Wilmington, North Carolina. That tells you how to grow it. It wants full sun, constantly damp nutrient-poor soil, pure water and a cold winter. Give it those and it's not hard to keep. You'll find standard plants here alongside named cultivars like Red Piranha, Chinese Dumpling and giant-trap types.
How to choose Venus Flytraps
- Adult vs starter: adult plants have traps over an inch and can flower. Starters in 2-inch pots take another year or two to size up.
- Cultivars: all-red types like Akai Ryu need the strongest light to color well. Giant-trap cultivars are mostly about trap size, not care.
- Indoors or out: a flytrap does best outdoors on a sunny porch. Indoors it needs a strong grow light 6 to 8 inches above it.
Venus Flytraps at a glance
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| Light | Full sun, 6+ hours direct, or a strong LED 14 hours a day |
| Water | Distilled, rain or RO water only; keep the soil wet, tray method |
| Soil | Sphagnum peat and perlite or silica sand, 1:1; no fertilizer |
| Humidity | Average outdoor humidity is fine; no terrarium needed |
| Dormancy | 3 to 4 months, November to February, at 35 to 50°F |
| Mature size | Rosette 4 to 5 inches across; traps up to 1.5 inches |
How to pot a Venus flytrap
- Mix sphagnum peat moss with perlite or silica sand at roughly 1:1. Never use potting soil, compost or Miracle-Gro mixes.
- Choose a plastic or glazed pot at least 4 inches deep with drainage holes. Unglazed terracotta leaches minerals.
- Moisten the mix with distilled water until it's damp through, then fill the pot.
- Make a hole, set the rhizome so the white base sits just below the surface, and firm the mix gently around it.
- Stand the pot in a tray holding an inch of distilled or rain water, and top the tray up whenever it dries.
- Move it to full sun gradually over a week, starting with morning sun.
Common problems
- Traps turning black: One or two at a time is normal. Each trap only lasts a few closings. Many at once usually means tap water, fertilizer or feeding it something too big.
- Floppy, pale leaves: Not enough light. Move it to full sun or lower the grow light.
- Declining after a year: It skipped dormancy. Flytraps kept warm all winter weaken and usually die by year two.
FAQ
Do Venus flytraps need to be fed?
Outdoors they catch enough on their own. Indoors, drop a small live or rehydrated insect into one or two traps a month during the growing season. The insect should be a third of the trap's size or smaller.
Can I use bottled spring water?
No. Spring and mineral water carry dissolved minerals. Use distilled, rainwater or reverse osmosis water under about 50 ppm.
How do I give a flytrap winter dormancy?
Leave it outdoors in zones 7 to 9 and it'll go dormant on its own. In colder areas, keep it in an unheated garage or a fridge at 35 to 45°F for 3 months, with the soil just damp.
Should I cut off the flower stalk?
Cut it if you want a stronger plant. Flowering takes a lot of energy. Leave it if you want to try for seed.
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