Venus fly trap
Dionaea muscipula
Overview
The Venus fly trap is an amazing plant species with a unique mechanism for catching prey. This carnivorous plant’s leaves snap shut with startling speed when an unfortunate insect wanders inside. The inside of the Venus fly trap is lined with hairs that sense its prey's movement and trigger the fascinating trap. The Venus fly trap is also quite beautiful, with bright green foliage and a hint of red. This species has also developed an interesting adaptation - it can survive in nutrient-poor soil by capturing and digesting insects. This marvelous mechanism makes the Venus fly trap an incredible botanical wonder!
Care Guide
Watering
Venus fly traps should be watered lightly once every 5 to 10 days. When watering the plant, you should use flat, room-temperature water or rainwater, never tap water as it contains too many minerals. The soil should be damp, but not saturated. Never let the soil dry out and never let the plant sit in standing water. Typically, it’s best to give your Venus fly trap about 2 to 4 ounces of water at a time. This is the equivalent of about 1/4 to 1/2 cup.
Light
Venus fly traps require plenty of sunlight to thrive. They need to be exposed to at least 6 hours of full or partial sunlight each day in order to grow well and remain healthy. When the light intensity and temperature are too low, the traps of the Venus fly trap plant will not be fully opened and the leaves will become limp. An ideal amount of direct sunlight for a Venus fly trap is around 8-10 hours, depending on the intensity of the light. The best timing for a Venus fly trap to get sunlight is during the morning hours, when the temperature is still mild and there is not too much direct light.
Temperature
Hardiness zone 5-8.
Pruning
Venus fly traps should be pruned twice a year; once in late winter/early spring and again in late summer/early fall. When pruning, remove dead, diseased, or otherwise unsightly leaves. Also, remove any overly vigorous growth that may be shading or crowding out other leaves. When pruning, use only clean, sharp scissors to avoid damaging the plant. For each pruning session, remove no more than 10-20% of the overall foliage.
Propagation
Division, Seed Propagation, Leaf Cutting, Root Cutting
Related plants
Other plants you might like if you grow Venus fly trap.
