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Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)

Dionaea muscipula is a low-growing, rosette-forming, clumping perennial herbaceous carnivorous plant. Sources differ in their descriptions of its perennial life cycle.

LightIt grows in full sun to partial sun and needs abundant light during active growth, while strong afternoon sun may be avoided during extreme heat.
WaterKeep the medium wet rather than allowing it to dry completely; tray (bottom) watering is compatible and may be used. Use pure water only (rain, RO or distilled); cultivation sources advise avoiding hard or treated tap wa
HumidityHumidity is 80–100%, consistent with a preference for high humidity. It is generally reported to need good airflow.
TemperatureSources are few and report an ideal temperature of about 25–30 °C. USDA hardiness zones are specified, with NCSU indicating that winter protection can extend cultivation into colder zones; sources differ on the minimum t
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Venus flytrap illustration

Overview

Dionaea muscipula is a low-growing, rosette-forming, clumping perennial herbaceous carnivorous plant. Sources differ in their descriptions of its perennial life cycle.

Origin and habitat

Sources differ somewhat on the native range, placing it in the southeastern United States with a core range in North Carolina and South Carolina, especially a restricted area along coastal North Carolina and northeastern South Carolina. It inhabits wet, nutrient-poor, acidic wetlands, including coastal marshes, wet pine lowlands, and wet pine grasslands, where substrates may contain peat and sand. Its native temperate-to-subtropical wetlands in the southeastern United States have distinct seasonal changes, and winter cold can induce dormancy.

Characteristics

Sources differ and are few on mature height, placing it at about 5–10 cm; mature spread is 10–50 cm. Leaves form a central rosette, with hinged, two-lobed traps at the ends of the petioles; their inner surfaces may be pink, red, orange-red, or purple, with stiff marginal bristles that interlock on closing and sensory hairs inside. Small white, petaled flowers are borne in inflorescences on stalks above the foliage, with flowering occurring during a seasonal period. It is reported to grow relatively slowly, and after pollination the ovary enlarges and later matures into a black, nearly round fruit containing many black seeds.

Light

It grows in full sun to partial sun and needs abundant light during active growth, while strong afternoon sun may be avoided during extreme heat.

Watering

Keep the medium wet rather than allowing it to dry completely; tray (bottom) watering is compatible and may be used. Use pure water only (rain, RO or distilled); cultivation sources advise avoiding hard or treated tap water.

Humidity and airflow

Humidity is 80–100%, consistent with a preference for high humidity. It is generally reported to need good airflow.

Temperature and dormancy

Sources are few and report an ideal temperature of about 25–30 °C. USDA hardiness zones are specified, with NCSU indicating that winter protection can extend cultivation into colder zones; sources differ on the minimum temperature. It tolerates brief light frost and has cold winter dormancy.

Growing medium and mounting

Use a low-fertility, acidic medium that stays moist while retaining aeration; suggested materials include sphagnum moss, peat with coarse sand or vermiculite, and other low-nutrient mixes. Sand with peat is also generally reported as a substrate type.

Feeding

Fertilizer is generally not applied, and high-nutrient media should be avoided. It is reported to grow without additional feeding of insects.

Propagation

It can be propagated by seed or division.

Common problems

Possible pests include aphids, spider mites, mealybugs, and fungus gnats, while disease problems are generally reported to be uncommon. Dry medium, excessive nutrients, hard water, or treated water can cause growth problems; insufficient light can produce weak, elongated leaves, while oversized prey that decays can cause traps to wither. Sources differ on weather sensitivity: afternoon shade and increased airflow may be used during intense summer heat, while some cold is tolerated; Top Tropicals describes tolerance of brief light frost but also describes the plant as frost-sensitive on the same page.

Identification

The leaf tips form jaw-like traps that can close rapidly; after prey stimulates the sensory hairs, the trap lobes close and marginal bristles restrict escape, after which digestive fluid can be secreted and nutrients absorbed.

Photos

Dionaea muscipula
📷 Len Worthington · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Dionaea muscipula
📷 David Hill, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · source
Dionaea muscipula
📷 Michael J. Papay, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by · CC BY · source

Sources