Plants from Another Planet: Venus Flytrap Care
This North American native may seem like a plant from another planet, but the Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) only grows along the coast of North and South Carolina. These carnivores thrive in boggy and brackish water environments seeking insects for nutrients that they can’t get from the soil. If you want personalized tips and tricks for your Venus Flytrap, be sure to join us on Mesh or in our Facebook group. Now, on to care tips….
Credit: Citron / CC-BY-SA-3.0
When the plant’s traps are triggered by tiny hairs (trichomes), they close to digest the unfortunate insect. Each trap can catch about four to six insects before withering, so it’s best not to trigger your VFT’s “mouths” to close for no reason. If you feed your VFT manually, remember that they actually don’t enjoy bits of crumbled hamburger — stick to insects, please!
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Potting Mix & Feeding
VFTs will happily grow in pure sphagnum moss or in a mix of fine bark, perlite, and lime-free horticultural grit. Now, because we know this is probably the coolest bit about owning Flytraps, let’s talk about feeding. The most important thing to know is that worrying about what to feed it is secondary — first you want to get the environment just right.
If you’re growing your VFT outdoors, you don’t have to worry about feeding it — they’ll catch their own meals. Inside, however, you can feed your VFT a variety of things, starting with any pesky fungus gnats! Freeze-dried mealworms and bloodworms make a good meal for VFTs as well. You can generally find these at a pet store.
The other key aspect to feeding a VFT is that the traps will only fully seal if the trichomes are triggered after the trap closes, since they’re used to catching live insects which struggle. You can take a toothpick and very gently insert it into the closed trap to simulate this and it should seal fully.
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Watering & Humidity
Before anything else, it’s essential that you use the right kind of water for VFTs: They don’t drink tap. Rainwater, RO water, or distilled water are all options. If you use other kinds of water the eventual mineral buildup will kill the plant.
Many people keep Flytraps in terrariums — you don’t have to do this, but your plant might thank you for it if your home is particularly dry. Because they naturally live in coastal bogland, they really appreciate humidity. During the growing season you should leave the pot standing in a little bit of water.
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Light & Temperature
Venus Flytraps need direct sunlight — your sunniest windowsill should house your VFT. Without sufficient light their leaves will be weaker and the traps won’t develop their distinctive red color. If you struggle to get enough light in your home, consider supplementing with grow lights — your Flytrap will thank you!
The natural range of temperatures in the Carolinas means that VFTs can tolerate normal household temperature ranges quite easily.
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Fertilizing & Pruning
Skip the ferts for your VFT — the eventual buildup will kill the plant. Their natural habitat is nutrient-poor soil, and they make up for it by catching and eating bugs. As for pruning, you can safely trim off withered growth with sharp, clean scissors or shears. Mature Flytraps flower in the spring, but it takes a lot of energy. to encourage better growth over the season, you should snip the flower stalk when it’s about two inches tall.
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Want customized care tips for your VFT or just want to talk plants with people? Join us in our Mesh Community to chat with plant people from around the world!
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