Dionaea Muscipula – How to Keep a Venus Fly Trap Alive

Dionaea Muscipula, commonly known as the Venus Fly Trap is a fascinating yet notoriously hard to keep plant. Plants are commonly sold in supermarkets and hardware stores as novelties as well as in the more usual garden centers. Typically plants are sold in poor condition and die within a few weeks of purchase leading to frustration and disappointment. This guide is intended to show how with a little care and attention the Venus Fly Trap is actually a very easy plant to keep and will gives owners potentially years of service.

Watering Your Dionaea Muscipula, Venus Flytrap

The most important feature in keeping a Venus Fly Trap alive is its watering regime. The Venus Fly Trap is a carnivorous bog plant and as such has two basic requirements for watering. In the first instance watering must be constant. The best way to ensure this is to sit the pot or container in a tray of at least 2cm of water at all time. The second consideration is the type of water: the Venus Fly Trap is very sensitive to both lime and chemicals such as chlorine and as such tap water may be the quickest way to kill a Venus Fly Trap. In order to keep the plant healthy one should use either rain water or if this is not available de-ionized water may be purchased from the supermarket or car maintenance store and works just as well.

Soil Type for Dionaea Muscipula, Venus Flytrap

The type of soil used is also important; again the plant will not tolerate any degree of alkalinity and as such one should try to create a soil mix which replicates the plant’s natural environment as a carnivorous bog plant. The best mix consists of a peat based medium to which sphagnum moss and washed (Lime free) sand may be added.

Feeding Your Dionaea Muscipula Venus Flytraps

This is the fascinating part for most people and the reason for buying the carnivorous plant in the first place. In general it is okay to feed a Venus Fly Trap; however a few rules must be followed if the carnivorous plant is to remain healthy. Firstly the owner should avoid over feeding. Giving a plant too many meals will lead to a build up of nutrients and ultimately may kill the plant. Secondly one should remember that the Venus Fly Trap is an insectivore – as such the carnivorous plant should only be fed on insects such as flies, spiders and ants. Feeding the bog plant on products such as processed meats or other foods is likely to result in the plant’s death soon after.

In summary the Venus Fly Trap is actually a very easy bog plant to keep and will give its owner potentially years of pleasure and interest should the simple steps above be followed.