Venus Fly Traps are the most popular carnivorous plant out there. Its spiky “teeth” shape has them looking like they’re from the planet Venus! These alien-looking plants are native to North and South Carolina. They are not as hard to manage as you may think. As long as you have the correct information, anyone can handle taking care of a carnivorous plant! Today we will be walking through the care and maintenance of Venus Fly Traps.

Water

Venus Fly Traps need to be humid and soil must always be damp. It is important you do not let them fully dry out. The most important thing to remember is, Venus Fly Traps are sensitive to minerals. Standard tap or bottled water contain too many extra additives and chemicals. These additives will end up poisoning (and killing) your plant. Some safe water sources include: distilled water, reverse osmosis water, or rain water.

Soil

Fertilizers, minerals or additives can end up killing your carnivorous plant. Because of this, you won’t be able to use a potting mix with additives and minerals. These extra additives in soil will end up killing your Venus Fly Trap. You will want to stick with soil made for carnivorous plants. These soils will be nutrient-poor, such as peat moss or sphagnum moss, and have good drainage. 

Sunlight

Venus Fly Traps need a lot of direct sunlight. They need at least 4 hours of direct sunlight a day, although at least 6-8 hours is best. It is ideal to grow your Venus Fly Trap outside in the warmer months. This way it can get the most sunlight and catch its own food. 

Feeding

The most popular thing about Venus Fly Traps is that they eat insects. If you place your trap outside for the summer, it’ll be able to catch insects on its own. It is not necessary to feed your carnivorous plants insects otherwise. All they need is water and sunlight. If you wish, you can feed your Venus Fly trap insects a few times a month. Feeding your trap helps it grow faster, but it is not necessary.

Cleaning

If you notice one of the heads starting to go yellow or black pinch it off at the stem! This usually means the head has caught a bug and is no longer needed. It can also mean the plant is going into dormancy and dying off for the winter.

Dormancy

Venus Fly Traps naturally go dormant with the colder months. This is because they are temperate perennial plants. Dormancy is essential since they don’t receive as much light and energy over the winter. They would have trouble supporting themselves without a dormant period. Be careful not to overwater during this time or allow your plant to sit in water. Venus Fly Traps will need enough water to be wet, then allowed to dry out until the soil is barely damp. Keep them in a room where the temperature ranges between 32- 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Preferably garage or basement with a large window.