Venus Fly Trap

The Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) is a carnivorous plant native to subtropical wetlands on the East Coast of the United States in North Carolina and South Carolina. It catches it’s prey—chiefly insects and arachnids—with a trapping structure formed by the terminal portion of each of the plant’s leaves, which is triggered by tiny hairs (called “trigger hairs” or “sensitive hairs”) on their inner surfaces.

When an insect or spider crawling along the leaves contacts a hair, the trap prepares to close, snapping shut only if another contact occurs within approximately twenty seconds of the first strike. Triggers may occur if one-tenth of the insect is within contact. The requirement of redundant triggering in this mechanism serves as a safeguard against wasting energy by trapping objects with no nutritional value, and the plant will only begin digestion after five more stimuli to ensure it has caught a live bug worthy of consumption.

Plant Care

Place the plant pot in a tray and fill the tray with water such that the plant can absorb the water directly from the tray. Do this once every week or when the soil dries out. Don’t water the plant directly from the top as this will cause the plant leaves to rot.

Repotting🪴

Re-pot them as they grow. Prune dead or dying flytraps. Don’t let the flytraps flower. Resist poking the traps.