The venus flytrap originates from northern & southern Carolina in the USA.

Although there is only one species there are a number of clones and cultivars available to the collector, such as the All red forms like ‘Akai ryu ’ (red dragon) and the interesting mutation forms such as Dentate with toothed edges to the traps or more extreme mutation as found in Wacky traps.

Some of these different forms are representative of different plants found in nature others are manmade through selective breeding and Tissue culture.

The plant should be allowed to stand in ½ to an inch of water this should be rain w or distilled water ideally . Mains water tends to be to hard but is better than nothing occasionally.

The plant should grown in full sun during the summer months.

During the winter months of the year the plan will benefit from being allowed to go dormant so it can rest.

Watering at this time should be reduced so the soil is kept just damp ,and lighting should be reduced.

Some or all the plants leaves will die back these should be removed to avoid fungal infections.

When spring returns the plant will start to grow and flower around April & May time.

Unless you want seed you should remove the flower stalk, flowering doesn’t kill the plant but does retard the plants growth producing smaller traps.

Aphids can be pest at this time spray with a systemic insecticide to control them and to prevent damage to the young leaves , the plant doesn’t need feeding and will catch its own prey, if you wish to feed it make sure its live food as it the struggling of the insect that stimulates the digestive juices with in the trap.

Avoid setting of the traps excessively as this weakens the plant , each trap opens 3 or 4 times in its life time and then dies and is replaced by new one .

Flytrap's feed on a range of insects not just flies as its name suggest my own have caught

spiders,crane flies (daddy long legs)  damsel flies, moths and other winged insects  and even slugs and snails.

Repot the plant every year or two this should be done in the spring in a soil mix of either 100% moss peat or a 3 to 1 mix of moss peat and perlite or silver sand.

© Essex carnivorous plants