Venus flytrap

Venus flytrap: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Low rosette 10–15 cm across, growing from a short underground rhizome.

Leaves

A flat green leaf stalk ending in a two-lobed trap with stiff teeth along the edge; in sun the inside turns red.

Trap

Each lobe usually has three trigger hairs. The trap closes in a fraction of a second and digests its prey in roughly one to two weeks.

Flower

White, five-petalled flowers about 2 cm across in a small cluster on a stalk 15–30 cm tall, in May–June.

Roots

Black and fine, very sensitive to lime and fertiliser.

Flowering: May–June · Plants: February–March · Pruning: March and May

Why grow it?

• A fascinating plant to watch up close, for children and adults alike.
• Small and compact: it fits on any sunny windowsill.
• It catches flies and gnats by itself, with no fertiliser or extra feeding.
• In summer it can go outdoors on a sunny balcony or patio.
• It combines nicely with other carnivorous plants in a bowl or bog container.

Venus flytrap: where does it grow best?

• Full sun: ideally several hours of direct sun a day, by a south-facing window or outdoors in summer.
• Poor, acid compost: a mix of unfertilised peat and pure sand or perlite, never ordinary potting compost.
• Always wet in the growing season: stand the pot in a saucer with 1–2 cm of rainwater.
• A cool winter rest from November to February at 0–10 °C, bright and frost-free.
• Normal room air is fine; a closed terrarium is usually too dark and too humid.

Light

Sunny

Potting soil

Cactus compost or airy, humus-rich compost

Acidity

Acid

Watering

Generously

Size

0.1 m tall, 0.15 m wide

Temperature

Minimum 0 °C

Goes well with

• Sundew: Catches small gnats with sticky tentacles and needs the same care.
• Pitcher plant: Tall, colourful pitchers; it also wants rainwater, sun and a cool winter.
• Sphagnum moss: Keeps the compost moist and acid in a bowl or bog container.
• Butterwort: A small carnivorous plant with sticky leaves; some species suit the same bowl.

Venus flytrap: when and how to plant it?

Plant in February–March.

1. Repot in February–March, just before new growth starts, every one to two years.
2. Use a mix of unfertilised white peat and pure quartz sand or perlite, roughly half and half.
3. Choose a plastic or glazed pot at least 10 cm deep with drainage holes; avoid terracotta, which releases salts.
4. Set the rhizome at the same depth as before, with the leaf bases just above the surface, and firm gently.
5. Stand the pot straight away in a saucer of rainwater and give it the sunniest spot.

Care

Water

Only rainwater, demineralised or distilled water. From March to October the pot stands in 1–2 cm of water; in winter just keep the compost moist.

Light

The more sun the better: the traps then stay firm and turn red.

Feeding

No fertiliser and no meat. Indoors and outdoors it catches enough insects by itself.

Traps

Do not trigger the traps for fun: each trap can only close a limited number of times, and it costs the plant energy.

Summer outdoors

From mid-May to September it can stand outside in a sunny, sheltered spot, in its saucer of water.

Winter rest

From November to February keep it cool and bright at 0–10 °C, for example on a cold windowsill or in an unheated conservatory.

Tip: From mid-May to September, put it outdoors on a sunny balcony: it gets more light there than behind glass and catches its own food.

Venus flytrap: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March and May.

When: In March, cut off the dead leaves. In May, remove the flower stalk, unless you want to let it flower or collect seed.

How:

• Snip off black, dead traps and leaves at the base with fine scissors.
• Cut off the flower stalk once it is 5–10 cm tall: the plant then puts its energy into new traps.
• If you want to see the flowers or collect seed, only let a strong, mature plant flower.

Caution: Do not pull at the leaves: cut them off so you do not damage the rhizome.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Division

Older plants form several rosettes. In February–March, when repotting, gently pull or cut them apart, each with its own roots.

Leaf cuttings

In spring, pull off a healthy leaf with its white base from the rhizome. Lay it on wet peat in a covered tray in a bright spot; after a few weeks to months, small plants appear.

Seed

Pollinate the flowers with a small brush. Sow the fresh seed on wet peat without covering it, in a bright, warm place. It takes several years for the plant to mature.

Venus flytrap: how does it get through the winter?

• It needs a true winter rest: from November to February at 0–10 °C in a bright place. Without it, the plant weakens and dies after a few years.
• In autumn many traps die back and only small, low leaves remain: that is normal.
• Water less during the rest: the compost must stay moist, but the pot does not need to stand in water.
• Protect it from frost; a cold, bright windowsill, an unheated room or a cold greenhouse is ideal.

Diseases and pests

• Black traps: A trap dies after a catch or after closing a few times: that is normal. If many traps turn black, it has too little light or is getting tap water or fertiliser.
• Long, floppy leaves: Too little light. Move it to the sunniest spot or outdoors in summer.
• Grey mould: Grey fluff on dead leaves during a dark, damp winter rest. Cut off dead leaves and provide light and some air movement.
• Lime damage: Brown leaf edges and a failing plant caused by tap water. Repot in a fresh peat mix and use only rainwater from then on.
• Aphids: On young leaves and the flower stalk. Rinse them off with rainwater.

Through the year

• January: Winter rest at 0–10 °C. Keep the compost just moist.
• February: Repot in a fresh peat mix. Divide.
• March: Cut off dead leaves. Move somewhere warmer and sunnier, with a saucer of water.
• April: Growing. Always a layer of rainwater in the saucer.
• May: Remove the flower stalk or let it flower. Outdoors after mid-May.
• June: Flowering. Take leaf cuttings. Full sun.
• July: Catching plenty of insects. Check the water every day.
• August: Top up the water in warm weather.
• September: Collect seed. Still plenty of sun.
• October: Growth slows, traps get smaller. Bring in before frost.
• November: Winter rest in a cool, bright place.
• December: Rest. Little water, no feeding.

Did you know?

• In the wild it grows only in a small area along the coast of North and South Carolina, where it is protected.
• A trap only closes when the trigger hairs are touched twice in quick succession: so it does not snap shut for a raindrop.
• Charles Darwin called it ‘one of the most wonderful plants in the world’.