Carnivorous Venus Fly Trap Dionaea muscipula

Venus Flytrap – Dionaea muscipula

One of the world's most recognisable carnivorous plants, the Venus flytrap produces extraordinary hinged traps that snap shut when triggered by unsuspecting insect prey.

Dionaea muscipula, commonly known as the Venus Flytrap, is a fascinating carnivorous perennial native to a small area of the southeastern United States.

Each plant forms a compact rosette of specialised leaves, with the end of each leaf transformed into the famous two-lobed trap. Fine trigger hairs inside the trap detect movement, allowing the plant to distinguish potential prey before rapidly closing around it.

The edges of each trap are lined with interlocking teeth-like structures called cilia, which help prevent captured insects from escaping. Once suitable prey has been caught, the trap seals more tightly and the plant begins the process of digestion, allowing it to obtain nutrients that are scarce in its naturally nutrient-poor habitat.

Colour & Growth

Venus flytraps naturally vary in appearance throughout the growing season.

New traps may emerge predominantly green before developing increasingly strong red or pink colouration inside the traps when grown in good sunlight. Individual plants can vary considerably in trap size, colour and growth habit.

During spring and summer, established plants continually produce fresh traps and may also produce tall flower stalks carrying small white flowers.

Growing Information

Light: Full sun or extremely bright direct light. Venus flytraps require plenty of light to produce strong, compact growth and good trap colouration.

Water: Keep the compost permanently moist during active growth. Stand the pot in approximately 1–2cm of rainwater, distilled water or reverse-osmosis water. Avoid hard tap water.

Compost: Grow only in nutrient-poor carnivorous plant compost. Never use ordinary multipurpose compost, enriched compost or conventional fertiliser.

Feeding: No additional feeding is normally necessary when plants are grown outdoors or somewhere insects can naturally reach them. Never feed meat or other human food to the traps.

Dormancy: Venus flytraps are temperate plants and require a winter dormancy. During autumn and winter, leaves and traps may become smaller, blacken or die back almost completely. This is a normal part of the plant's annual growth cycle rather than a sign that the plant has died.

Fresh growth resumes from the underground rhizome as temperatures and daylight increase in spring.

Hardiness: Venus flytraps tolerate cool winter conditions and are well suited to an unheated greenhouse, cold frame or suitable outdoor carnivorous plant collection in the UK. Container-grown plants should be protected from prolonged severe freezing.

Plant Supplied

You will receive an established Venus flytrap of the type shown and of the description at purchase.

As these are living plants, size, number of traps, trap colour and overall appearance will naturally vary according to season and stage of growth.

Plants supplied during winter dormancy may have considerably less visible growth than plants supplied during the height of summer.

With suitable conditions, established plants gradually increase in size and can produce multiple growing points, eventually forming impressive clusters of traps.

Identification Note

These plants are offered as Dionaea muscipula without a named cultivar unless specifically stated otherwise.

Venus flytraps occur in many named cultivars selected for particular characteristics such as unusually large traps, intense red colouration, unusual teeth or distinctive growth habits. Unless a plant has documented cultivar provenance, no particular named cultivar is being claimed.

Botanical name: Dionaea muscipula
Common name: Venus Flytrap
Plant type: Temperate carnivorous perennial
Growth habit: Compact rosette
Trap type: Snap trap
Colour: Green with variable red/pink traps
Dormancy: Winter
Difficulty: Easy–Moderate
Water: Rainwater / RO / distilled
Position: Full sun
Suitable for beginners: Yes
Suitable for bog gardens: Yes, with appropriate conditions