Venus Fly Trap Care
Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)
Overview
- Iconic carnivorous plant with jaw-like traps
- Each trap closes rapidly on prey when triggered
- Requires specific soil, water, and light conditions to thrive
- Adds unique, interactive interest to any collection
The Venus Flytrap is perhaps the most famous carnivorous plant, instantly recognizable for its toothed, jaw-like traps that close around insects. Beyond its novelty, it offers a striking aesthetic with compact rosettes of green and red traps. At BoDurtha’s, we carry Venus Flytraps for those seeking something both botanical and biomechanical in their plant collection.
Origins
Native to subtropical wetlands of North and South Carolina in the United States, growing in nutrient-poor, acidic bogs where insect capture supplements its diet.
Light Requirements
Requires full sun for at least 4–6 hours per day.
- Indoors: place in the brightest south-facing window or under a strong grow light
- Outdoors: thrives in direct sunlight during warm months
- Insufficient light results in weak traps and poor health
Watering
Keep soil consistently moist with distilled water, reverse osmosis water, or rainwater only.
- Never use tap water—minerals will damage roots over time
- Soil should remain damp at all times but not submerged
- Best grown in a tray of distilled water about 0.5–1 inch deep during active growth
Soil & Potting
Use a nutrient-free, acidic medium.
- Do not use Aroid Mix for this plant
- Ideal blend: pure sphagnum peat moss mixed with perlite or silica sand (1:1)
- Never fertilize; Venus Flytraps derive nutrients from captured prey
Fertilizer
Do not fertilize.
- Feeding fertilizer will damage or kill the plant
- If grown indoors with no insect access, you may feed traps small insects occasionally (avoid human food)
Recommended Growth Style: Freeform
Venus Flytraps are best grown freeform in shallow pots or trays.
- Avoid moss poles or staking—traps grow low in a rosette form
- Ideal as a windowsill specimen or terrarium feature (open air only, not closed)
Final Notes
Venus Flytraps combine visual intrigue with botanical fascination, serving as both plant and interactive display. At BoDurtha’s, we recommend them for those ready to commit to their specific water and light needs, knowing the payoff is a plant unlike any other in function and form.