Caring for a Venus Fly Trap

An open Venus Fly Trap ready to munch some bugs. By Che (che) via Wikimedia Commons

It's nothing novel to think of animals eating plants, but what about the other way around? Carnivorous plants continue to be a source of fascination in the plant world. Plants typically get the nutrients they need from water and soil, but carnivorous plants grow in nutrient-poor areas. Different species of carnivorous plants have evolved their ability to obtain nutrients from other living organisms independently of one another. 

Did you know thatVenus Fly Traps are a native species to North Carolina? They are also endangered due to illegal poaching in the wild. We we source ours ethically from a grower. Photo credit: Public Domain

It may be surprising, but the venus flytrap is actually a hardy perennial that requires a cold dormancy in the winter to thrive. They're native to wetland habitats in the eastern United States and are commonly poached - however, we source ours ethically from a grower! 

Light

It's important to mimic the natural environment of this species, so you'll want to keep it somewhere where it can get at least 6 hours of full sun per day.

Water

Venus Fly Traps need more humidity than they do actual water. You can achieve this by keeping the plant in an enclosed container - sort of like a miniature greenhouse - or in a humidity tray. Water once a week with filtered water, as these plants are sensitive to trace chemicals found in tap water.

A typical environment of the Venus Fly Trap - made of sand and unenriched peat. Photo credit: H. Zell

Soil

Because these plants have evolved to tolerate low-nutrient conditions, being in rich soil will kill them. Instead of your typical potting mix, use a combination of sand and unenriched peat moss. The sand provides very little nutritionally, and the peat moss retains up to 20 times its weight in water. Keep in mind that it's crucial to use peat moss that does not include fertilizer, which can damage the roots.

Food + Fertilizer

We recommend feeding only a single 'mouth' of your venus flytrap once per month. Much more than that can harm your plant. Although it's tempting to tickle the trigger hairs of a venus flytrap and watch the mouths close, doing so causes the plant to expend a great deal of energy. If this is done continually with not nutritional compensation, the plant can become unhealthy.