Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)
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Venus flytrap is native only to North and South Carolina. The "trap" of a Venus flytrap is a modified leaf. A plant can have as many as eight of them arising from flat stems (technically part of the leaf) around a basal rosette.
This leaf/trap consists of two lip-like lobes united by a hinge. Nectar within the trap is the bait that draws an insect into its death. Once inside, if the insect makes contact with one of the trigger hairs, the trap is sprung: It closes, shutting up the prey inside. After digestion, the "jaws" reopen.
This leaf/trap consists of two lip-like lobes united by a hinge. Nectar within the trap is the bait that draws an insect into its death. Once inside, if the insect makes contact with one of the trigger hairs, the trap is sprung: It closes, shutting up the prey inside. After digestion, the "jaws" reopen.
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2-13-2026
seeds are almost ready to harvest |
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General Care
Try using a tray with 1" of water in the bottom to keep the plants consistently moist. Be sure to use a peat heavy soil mixture because these plants love acid soils. A 3:1 ratio of peat moss to perlite is a great mix. These plants prefer full sun and prefer being outside. Allow the plant to get cold in the winter and enter into dormancy. An unheated greenhouse or garage is perfect.
Try using a tray with 1" of water in the bottom to keep the plants consistently moist. Be sure to use a peat heavy soil mixture because these plants love acid soils. A 3:1 ratio of peat moss to perlite is a great mix. These plants prefer full sun and prefer being outside. Allow the plant to get cold in the winter and enter into dormancy. An unheated greenhouse or garage is perfect.
Description & Biology
The Venus flytrap is a small, perennial herbaceous plant forming a rosette of four to seven leaves arising from a short, bulb-like subterranean stem. Each leaf has a flat, photosynthetic petiole and a terminal lobe forming the trap, which is lined with stiff, hair-like cilia and red anthocyanin pigments to attract prey. The trap closes when prey touches two trigger hairs within about 20 seconds, snapping shut in roughly one-tenth of a second. Digestion begins only after repeated stimulation, ensuring energy is not wasted on non-nutritive objects. The plant primarily captures insects and spiders, which provide nutrients not readily available in its nutrient-poor wetland soils, while photosynthesis remains its main energy source.
Life Cycle and Reproduction
The Venus flytraps bloom from May through June, producing white, five-petaled flowers on stalks 8–12 inches tall, well above the traps to avoid capturing pollinators. Fruits mature in June and July, releasing shiny black seeds. The plant can live up to 20 years in the wild, with dormancy in winter reducing carnivorous leaves and storing energy in the bulb-like stem.
Cultivation Notes
For cultivation, the Venus flytraps require a medium of equal parts peat moss and vermiculite, and only small, soft-bodied insects should be fed if necessary. They are best grown in containers that mimic their natural wetland conditions, avoiding nutrient-rich soils or inappropriate foods like meat.
The Venus flytrap is a small, perennial herbaceous plant forming a rosette of four to seven leaves arising from a short, bulb-like subterranean stem. Each leaf has a flat, photosynthetic petiole and a terminal lobe forming the trap, which is lined with stiff, hair-like cilia and red anthocyanin pigments to attract prey. The trap closes when prey touches two trigger hairs within about 20 seconds, snapping shut in roughly one-tenth of a second. Digestion begins only after repeated stimulation, ensuring energy is not wasted on non-nutritive objects. The plant primarily captures insects and spiders, which provide nutrients not readily available in its nutrient-poor wetland soils, while photosynthesis remains its main energy source.
Life Cycle and Reproduction
The Venus flytraps bloom from May through June, producing white, five-petaled flowers on stalks 8–12 inches tall, well above the traps to avoid capturing pollinators. Fruits mature in June and July, releasing shiny black seeds. The plant can live up to 20 years in the wild, with dormancy in winter reducing carnivorous leaves and storing energy in the bulb-like stem.
Cultivation Notes
For cultivation, the Venus flytraps require a medium of equal parts peat moss and vermiculite, and only small, soft-bodied insects should be fed if necessary. They are best grown in containers that mimic their natural wetland conditions, avoiding nutrient-rich soils or inappropriate foods like meat.