Overview
Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) plants are small insect-catching swamp plants native to coastal North and South Carolina. The soil they live in is acidic and low in nitrogen. The insects caught in the specialized leaves provide additional nitrogen for plant growth.
Size of Plants
An individual Venus flytrap plant is small, usually with four to eight leaves. A well-grown plant in cultivation after several years may reach a diameter of 5 inches. Growers at Dangerous Plants report maximum plant sizes of 6 to 8 inches.
Size of Leaves
Leaves have two parts, the thin leaf stalk and the modified leaf blade or trap. Entire leaves longer than 4 inches are unusual. Spring leaves are longer, greener, more slender and held straight up. Summer/fall leaves are shorter, lower to the ground and have wider leaf traps with brighter colors.
Size of Leaf Traps
An average leaf trap measures about 1 inch long. Some varieties have larger ones, with Dionaea B52 producing traps 2 inches long under the best conditions.
Number of Leaf Traps
A well-grown older plant can have 20 active traps at a time. Under average conditions, a plant has four to eight functional traps.
- The Carnivorous Plant FAQ: Flytraps
- Carolina Carnivores: The Venus Flytrap
- Dangerous Plants: Venus Flytrap Growing Guide
- "Carnivorous Plants"; Adrian Slack, Jane Gate; 2000
Keywords:
Venus flytrap size, carnivorous plants, Venus flytrap plants
About this Author
Carolyn Csanyi began writing in 1973, specializing in topics related to plants, insects and southwestern ecology. Her work has appeared in the "American Midland Naturalist" and Greenwood Press. Csanyi holds a Doctor of Philosophy in biology from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
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