How to Care for Venus Flytrap Plants

Overview

Venus flytrap, also known by its Latin name Dionaea muscipula, is a perennial, carnivorous plant that traps and consumes small insects for food. The plant's traps are formed by its terminal leaves and they snap shut when the tiny hairs inside are triggered twice in succession. The requirement of triggering the hairs more than once is a safeguard against trapping objects that have no nutritional value. Native to swampy regions of North America, Venus flytrap is typically grown indoors in a terrarium and requires supplemental feeding of an insect once every few months to provide adequate nutrition.

Step 1

Plant Venus flytrap in a terrarium filled with a potting mix made of two parts peat moss and one part coarse sand. Line the bottom of the terrarium with 1 inch of gravel prior to adding the potting soil. Keep the terrarium in a location that receives direct sunlight during spring, summer and fall and partial shade during winter.

Step 2

Maintain an average daily temperature of 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit during spring, summer and fall and 55 to 60 F during winter. Reduce temperatures by about 10 F at night.

Step 3

Water your Venus flytrap plant about once per week throughout the year to keep the soil consistently moist. Flood the container about once every three weeks and then siphon away all excess moisture to prevent stagnation and salt accumulation.

Step 4

Feed the plant a small insect once every two to three months to provide proper nutrition. Place the insect in a trap and gently touch a trigger hair twice to force the trap to close. Do not feed Venus flytrap human food at any time because this can kill the plant.

Step 5

Remove the plant's flower stalk during early spring because flower and seed production significantly weaken the plant. Pinch off dead foliage and traps whenever possible to improve the plant's health and visual appearance.

Step 6

Repot your Venus flytrap plant once every two years during early spring to provide additional room for growth and a fresh growing medium. Increase the size of the terrarium by several inches if necessary and use a fresh soil mix. Water thoroughly after repotting.