- Botanical name: Dionaea muscipula
- Common name: Venus fly trap
- Family: Droseraceae
- Plant Type: House plant
White
Bronze
Green
- Key features:
- Dramatic foliage
- Succeeds on poor soil
Venus fly trap, Dionaea muscipula, is a difficult but rewarding plant to grow. Native to the subtropical wetlands of the United States, it’s one of the few plants that can move to catch prey – using its toothed, modified leaves to snap around insects and spiders that land on the inner leaf surface. Pretty white flowers appear on long stem in spring.
Grown as a houseplant in temperate climates, it can be tricky to mimic the subtropical conditions it requires to thrive. Grow your venus fly trap at room temperature in full sun, such as a sunny windowsill, and keep well watered with rainwater only – allow the compost to dry out only in winter. Slow-growing, you shouldn’t need to repot your venus fly trap more than once every two years, but when you do it needs nutrient poor, acidic compost, so it’s a good idea to use spent peat-free ericaceous compost you would otherwise discard. Mist often to increase humidity and never feed your plant – it gets all of its nutrition from its prey.
How to grow Dionaea muscipula
-
Plant size
10cm height
10cm spread
-
Aspect
South facing
- Sun exposure: Full sun
- Soil type: Acidic / boggy
- Plant care: Needs regular watering in pots
Plant calendar
Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Flowers | ||||||||||||
Flowers |
J
Plant does not flower in January |
F
Plant does not flower in February |
M
Plant does not flower in March |
A
Plant does flower in April |
M
Plant does flower in May |
J
Plant does not flower in June |
J
Plant does not flower in July |
A
Plant does not flower in August |
S
Plant does not flower in September |
O
Plant does not flower in October |
N
Plant does not flower in November |
D
Plant does not flower in December |
Dionaea muscipula and wildlife
Dionaea muscipula has no particular known value to wildlife in the UK.
Is Dionaea muscipula poisonous?
Dionaea muscipula has no toxic effects reported.
No reported toxicity to Birds
No reported toxicity to Cats
No reported toxicity to Dogs
No reported toxicity to Horses
No reported toxicity to Livestock
No reported toxicity to People