Plant Care Venus Fly Trap

Venus Fly Trap

4.4 out of 5 (152 experiences)

Venus Fly Trap has a Survivor plant personality Survivor
Venus Fly Trap has a Fast grower plant personality Fast grower

About Venus Fly Trap

The Venus Flytrap is a carnivorous plant native to North and South Carolina. They typically grow in swampy regions which are low in nitrogen (and essential nutrient for plant growth) and evolved carnivory as a clever solution. Their traps are triggered by small hairs and the closing of their traps is one of the fastest momevents among all plants! Their traps often die off after trapping and digesting prey, so be careful not to trigger them — leave those traps for the bugs 🐜!

Taxonomy

Dionaea muscipula
Dionaea
Droseraceae
Caryophyllales

Also known as

Red Piranha and Meadow Clams

How to care for Venus Fly Trap

Water

How often to water your Venus Fly Trap

Water needs for Venus Fly Trap
0.5 cups
every 7

Venus Fly Trap needs 0.5 cups of water every 7 when it doesn’t get direct sunlight and is potted in a 5" pot.

Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

Calculate water needs of Venus Fly Trap

Water 0.5 cups every
7

Does your plant get direct sunlight?

Select the pot size

5"
Light

Check the growing potential in your area

A plant's growing potential is determined from its location, the time of year, and current local weather.

Select a city to check sunlight intensity

Finding light for Venus Fly Trap in your home

Light needs and placement for plant Venus Fly Trap: 1ft from a window
1ft or less from
a window

Venus Fly Trap love being close to bright, sunny windows 😎.

Place it less than 1ft from a south-facing window to maximize the potential for growth.

Venus Fly Trap does not tolerate low-light 🚫.

Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement of Venus Fly Trap in your home 🏡.

Nutrients

How to fertilize Venus Fly Trap

Nutrient, fertilizer, and repotting needs for Venus Fly Trap: repot after 2X growth

Most potting soils come with ample nutrients which plants use to produce new growth.

By the time your plant has depleted the nutrients in its soil it’s likely grown enough to need a larger pot anyway.

To replenish this plant's nutrients, repot your Venus Fly Trap after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.

FAQs
Difficulty Level

Venus Fly Trap can be challenging to care for, according to some plant parents. Check out the reviews down below to learn from their experiences!


Water Needs
Sunlight Needs
Toxicity
Humidity
Soil
Fertilizer
Dormancy
Native Region
Flowers
Growth Pattern
Growing Outdoors
Propagation
Yellow Leaves

Care Summary for Venus Fly Trap

Venus Fly Trap

Venus Fly Trap


Greg recommends:

Water

0.5 cups every 7 days

Placement

< 1ft from a window

Nutrients

Repot after 2x growth

Based on the 4” pot your plant is in, and that it doesn’t get direct sunlight.

What other plant parents say

Venus Fly Trap has a Survivor plant personality Survivor 61
Venus Fly Trap has a Fast grower plant personality Fast grower 52
Venus Fly Trap has a Pest magnet plant personality Pest magnet 41
Venus Fly Trap has a Browns easily plant personality Browns easily 38
Venus Fly Trap has a Blooms easily plant personality Blooms easily 17
Venus Fly Trap has a Large, lush leaves plant personality Large, lush leaves 9
Venus Fly Trap has a Easy to propagate plant personality Easy to propagate 4
@samanthawilliams avatar
@@samanthawilliams
leaf-1 31 Plants
xp 1,673 XP
globe Mortlake, Victoria
02/19/2022

Not the easiest plant to take care of. Needs lots of attention and water.

Fast grower Fast grower
Browns easily Browns easily
@BlobfishMaster avatar
@@BlobfishMaster
leaf-1 27 Plants
xp 2,501 XP
02/19/2022

I love him all the other ones came from him and I also managed to get him to get a flower

Fast grower Fast grower
Easy to propagate Easy to propagate
Survivor Survivor
Blooms easily Blooms easily
@BlobfishMaster avatar
@@BlobfishMaster
leaf-1 27 Plants
xp 2,501 XP
02/19/2022

I love him all the other ones came from him and I also managed to get him to get a flower

Fast grower Fast grower
Easy to propagate Easy to propagate
Survivor Survivor
Blooms easily Blooms easily
@PoeticCowslip avatar
@@PoeticCowslip
leaf-1 27 Plants
xp 1,341 XP
globe Lafayette, NJ
01/21/2022

They go dormant.

Browns easily Browns easily
@dylan1stokes avatar
@@dylan1stokes
leaf-1 36 Plants
xp 3,487 XP
globe Witham, England
01/10/2022

Venus fly traps like to stay moist but not water logged. They love the bright light, south facing is best but mine is doing fine in my east facing window. Not allowing them to dry out is best as they prefer soil that is slight moist. These plants are incredible and look amazing

Pest magnet Pest magnet
@Uniqueplantlove avatar
@@Uniqueplantlove
leaf-1 6 Plants
xp 1,433 XP
01/02/2022

Awesome air planst

Fast grower Fast grower
Large, lush leaves Large, lush leaves
Blooms easily Blooms easily
Survivor Survivor
@ZanyBasil avatar
@@ZanyBasil
leaf-1 1 Plants
xp 33 XP
globe Ringling, OK
12/31/2021

Um they eat bugs

Pest magnet Pest magnet
@DrplantzX avatar
@@DrplantzX
leaf-1 1 Plants
xp 33 XP
globe Dover, PA
12/30/2021

It is very hard

Blooms easily Blooms easily
Survivor Survivor
Browns easily Browns easily
Pest magnet Pest magnet
@Luvjones avatar
@@Luvjones
leaf-1 10 Plants
xp 162 XP
globe New Orleans, LA
11/13/2021

Cut the brown ones off so the healthiest ones can grow big. I love them.

@KimG1604user9e75a72b avatar
@@KimG1604user9e75a72b
leaf-1 1 Plants
xp 35 XP
globe Geismar, LA
11/08/2021

Do NOT use Anything besides perlite and peat moss.
Also do NOT use the brand “Miracle Grow” for your perlite or pest moss because it will have fertilizer in it & that WILL kill your Venus Fly Trap!!!
Most plant nurseries will have organic peat moss with nothing added.

Survivor Survivor
@Amberollie avatar
@@Amberollie
leaf-1 44 Plants
xp 728 XP
globe Bell Buckle, TN
11/04/2021

I love my carnivorous plants, but this one is one of my neediest plants. It needs constant moisture and constant water.
It also needs to eat. But if whatever you feed it doesn’t fit in it’s little mouths, it will cause the head to die. Make sure when they are small you only give them house flys and make sure the mouth is closed completely around it. 😊

Browns easily Browns easily
Pest magnet Pest magnet
Fast grower Fast grower
Kane avatar
@Kane
leaf-1 0 Plants
xp 100 XP
globe Superior, WI
09/24/2021

Spaghnom moss is a must

Fast grower Fast grower
@DivineTreasures avatar
@@DivineTreasures
leaf-1 8 Plants
xp 1,895 XP
globe Lebanon, TN
09/18/2021

Honestly this is for my son. He love carnivorous plants. Let’s hope we can keep him alive.

Survivor Survivor
@emilymeagan avatar
@@emilymeagan
leaf-1 5 Plants
xp 105 XP
globe Kingsport, TN
09/01/2021

it’s hard to find a happy medium for this one, sometimes it’s super healthy and other times it dies back like it is now :( i started them from seeds so i’m not giving up!

Browns easily Browns easily
@Wildlog avatar
@@Wildlog
leaf-1 5 Plants
xp 182 XP
08/17/2021

You should set them outside where there are a lot of bugs. I set it on my front porch where I get a lot of bugs. Very easy to care for! All you gotta do it just give it bugs and water it and it will be happy :))

Easy to propagate Easy to propagate
@psychomosi avatar
@@psychomosi
leaf-1 4 Plants
xp 158 XP
globe Ridgeland, SC
08/16/2021

Very hard to keep alive..

Browns easily Browns easily
@Plantpower123 avatar
@@Plantpower123
leaf-1 3 Plants
xp 133 XP
globe Invergordon, Scotland
08/08/2021

Use rain water

Fast grower Fast grower
@birdbeebug avatar
@@birdbeebug
leaf-1 1 Plants
xp 69 XP
08/06/2021

Home environments aren't ideal, unless you have a very bright window and can give the plants a lot of attention. :)) <3

Conman avatar
@Conman
leaf-1 2 Plants
xp 41 XP
08/05/2021

Be ready for a lot handle. If one closes and you think it is dead because the tips are becoming brown don’t pinch it off!! It probably has a bug so wait till the WHOLE trap is black

Pest magnet Pest magnet
Eleanor avatar
@Eleanor
leaf-1 5 Plants
xp 66 XP
globe Danby Wiske, England
07/29/2021

only use distilled,de-ionsised or rain water, do not use tap water! Keep it say in water

Fast grower Fast grower
Blooms easily Blooms easily
Survivor Survivor

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