Venus Flytrap Care Guide

The Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) is the world's most famous carnivorous plant, snapping its hinged traps shut on insects in a fraction of a second. It is native to a small area of the Carolina coastal plain, where it grows in sunny, wet, nutrient-poor soil. Recreate those conditions and flytraps are hardy, long-lived plants.

Water

Use distilled, reverse osmosis, or rain water only. Tap water minerals build up in the soil and burn the roots. Keep the soil consistently moist using the tray method, with the pot sitting in 0.5 to 1 inch of water during the growing season.

Light

Flytraps need full sun: at least 6 hours of direct light outdoors, or strong grow lights indoors for 12 to 14 hours a day. Without enough light, leaves grow long and floppy and traps lose their red color. A windowsill alone is rarely enough.

Soil

Use nutrient-free peat moss mixed 1:1 with perlite or silica sand. Never use potting soil, compost, or fertilizer. Our Bog Soil Mix is ready to use. Repot every year or two in early spring, before active growth starts.

Feeding

Outdoor plants catch plenty on their own. Indoors, feed a live insect about one-third the size of the trap every few weeks during the growing season. The prey needs to keep moving after the trap closes to trigger digestion. If you feed something dead, gently squeeze the closed trap for a few seconds to imitate movement. Never feed meat or human food.

Dormancy

Flytraps need a winter dormancy of 3 to 4 months at 35 to 50°F to stay healthy long term. As days shorten, growth slows, new leaves stay small and flat, and older traps blacken. This is normal. An unheated garage, porch, or cold windowsill works well. Keep the soil damp but not flooded, and trim dead leaves in spring when new growth starts.

Flowering

Mature plants send up a tall flower stalk in spring. Flowering takes a lot of energy, so many growers cut the stalk early to keep the plant vigorous, unless they want to collect seed.

Browse our Venus flytraps, read our Sundew Care Guide, or see the complete carnivorous plant care guide.

FAQ

Is it bad to set off flytrap traps by hand?

Yes. Each trap can only close a limited number of times before it dies, and closing without food wastes energy the plant needs to grow. Let the traps catch real prey.

Why are my flytrap's traps turning black?

Individual traps naturally die after a few catches or as they age, and new ones replace them. Traps also blacken if they catch prey that's too big to seal around. If the whole plant is blackening, check your water, light, and soil.

Can I grow a Venus flytrap indoors?

Yes, but only under strong grow lights. A windowsill rarely provides enough light. Indoor flytraps still need a cool winter dormancy each year.

How often should I feed my flytrap?

Indoors, one live insect every few weeks during the growing season is plenty. Don't feed during dormancy.