How to Care For a Venus Flytrap

As the commercial popularity of the Venus Flytrap has grown, the naturally occurring plant has become endangered. As a result, all Venus Flytraps purchased today are grown in greenhouses. The cultivars have focused on three areas: color, size, and mutation.

Here is a list of popular Venus Flytrap varieties:

1. Akai Ryu

   The Akai Ryu is an all-red cultivar.

2. Justina Davis

   The Justina Davis is a popular, all-green cultivar.

3. B-52

   If you are looking for a large Venus Flytrap, you may like the B-52.

4. Slack’s Giant

   The Slack’s Giant is a very large Venus Flytrap.

5. Sawtooth

   On the Sawtooth, the cilia are not as long and are more jagged. It has a fringe along the edge of the leaf.

6. Fused Tooth

   The cilia are not individual and the edge of the leaf supports a flossy veil of tissue on the Fused Tooth.

One thing that you should note is that blue and purple Venus Flytraps do not exist. While seeds for them are often marketed on platforms, these are always a scam.

Growing a Venus Flytrap inside can be done successfully, though as carnivores, the outdoors may be the more obvious choice.  If moving the plant indoors, the most important thing to remember is they must have a dormant time each year, typically mid-November through mid-February in the northern hemisphere. If dormancy is observed, the Venus Flytrap should flourish indoors if a few rules are observed.

• How Often You Should Water Your Venus Flytrap

  First, water your plant only with pure water – rainwater collected outside or distilled water would be best.

  During the growing season, the pot holding the Venus Flytrap should be set in 1 cm (⅓ inch) of the kind of water mentioned above, watering the plant from below. Do not water the plant from above. Soil should be wet, but not waterlogged. Watering should be ongoing.

  During dormancy, the soil around the plant should be just damp, not dry or wet.

• When to Fertilize Your Venus Flytrap

  Because of the plant’s design, fertilizer is not necessary.  All the nutrients the Venus Flytrap needs are provided by its diet of insects.

• Best Soil For Your Venus Flytrap

  Nutrient-free (no fertilizer) soil that provides good drainage and aeration is the best for this plant.  One part peat moss, one part perlite is the best mixing ratio. Certainly do not use potting soil that includes lots of additives, compost, or fertilizer.

• Optimum Temperature/Humidity for Your Venus Flytrap

  Being born in the bogs of North and South Carolina, this plant prefers a warm, humid climate with cool, well-watered soil. Inside, that means a bathroom with a source of natural light would be ideal.  Be sure that wherever your Venus Flytrap is in your house, the plant is moved away from spaces that get cold at night, e.g. a window.

There are some issues that can commonly crop up when you care for a Venus Flytrap. Here are a few:

• Why Is Your Venus Flytrap Losing Leaves?

  Often when the plant is preparing for dormancy, its leaves will end up falling off. This also happens if the plant is exposed to overly cold weather.

• Why Does Your Venus Flytrap Have Brown (BLACK?) Leaves?

  A number of explanations need to be considered if your Venus Flytrap’s leaves are turning black.  The following are four possibilities:  being overfed, being stressed, poor living conditions, and experience cold weather.

• What Insects Can Affect Venus Flytrap?

  Venus Flytraps are most vulnerable to aphids and fungus gnats. Aphid infestations generally affect the crown of the plant, where fungus gnats attack the roots.

• Is the Venus Flytrap an Invasive Species? 

  No, Venus Flytraps are not invasive species.  In fact, due to over-harvesting in their natural habitat, Venus Flytraps are considered Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species.

There are three main avenues of propagation for the Venus Flytrap: division, leaf cuttings, and seeds.  In late winter through early summer, the individual plants can be divided at the root and replanted. In early summer, leaf cuttings can be taken and planted in soil. Finally, seeds can be harvested from the plant and placed in soil for germination.

How Does Venus Flytrap Spread?

The Venus Flytrap employs two ways to spread.  First, it is rhizomatous.  As such, the plant may spread through the actions of the rhizome.  Secondly, the plant does produce seeds.  If these seeds are planted intentionally by humans or inadvertently by birds or animals, the plants can produce this way.

Though the carnivorous plant doesn’t typically get consideration as a companion, it does pair well with a number of plants including the following:

There are more carnivorous plants than most people realize. Though the Venus Flytrap is the best known, its family (Droseraceae) is made up of 154 species, almost all of which are types of Sundews, but also include the following:

1. How Much Light Does a Venus Flytrap Need?

   A Venus flytrap should receive at least 6 hours of direct sunlight a day is needed for vigorous growth. Placing the plant in a south-facing windowsill will typically ensure that it gets it.

2. How Large Will a Venus Flytrap Grow?

   The mature Venus Flytrap plant will be 5 to 6 inches in diameter at the base.

3. Is a Venus Flytrap Toxic or Bad for Pets?

   The Venus Flytrap is not toxic to humans or dogs or cats. They primarily are only dangerous to insects flying within their reach.

4. What Kind of Container Do You Need for Your Venus Flytrap?

   A tall pot with a drain hole in the bottom provides a good container. They don’t need to be too big as long as there is enough room for the Venus Flytrap’s root system.