Most people are familiar with venus flytraps – these plants are highly iconic and have fascinated humans for many years, with their attractive, vivid colors, and their highly unusual method of feeding.
These plants fascinate and delight people around the world, and they are sought-after plants that can be amazing to watch. They use nectar to lure in insect prey. Once the tiny hairs within a trap are triggered by the insect’s movement, the trap snaps shut.
The hairs must be touched a couple of times to prevent false alarms, and if the insect stops struggling, the trap will sometimes reopen – otherwise, continued movement will stimulate digestive juices that will slowly break down the insect over a few days, feeding the plant.
Where Do Venus Flytraps Come From?
These amazing plants are under threat in their natural home, and while efforts are being made to preserve them, they are dying out. They have a relatively small range, being native to North and South Carolina on the East Coast of the United States.
They live in subtropical marshy areas, where the soil is very nutrient-poor – hence why they developed their ingenious method of catching insects to supplement their diets and provide the nutrients that they need.
The plants will grow almost anywhere in the world, though they need to be grown indoors unless you live somewhere hot. They are very popular with growers everywhere, and although they are thought of as challenging to grow, if you meet their basic growing conditions, they should thrive.
We are going to cover the optimal venus flytrap conditions next.
Venus Flytrap Soil Mix
We recommend this Organic Earth plant soil mix. It is designed to help your venus flytrap flourish and thrive.
Optimal Venus Flytrap Conditions
So, how do you grow healthy venus flytraps? Many people struggle with these plants, but in reality, they can be fairly low-maintenance once you know what you’re doing.
Venus Flytrap Soil
The first thing you’ll need is an appropriate growing medium. Venus flytraps, as mentioned, like low-nutrient soils and will die if you put them in rich compost. They like to be moist, coming from wetlands, so it’s important to choose the proper potting medium. Do not just use ordinary garden soil.
A good mix is fifty-fifty perlite with peat moss or a full pot of sphagnum moss. You should source high-quality sphagnum moss; it has great properties for tropical plants. Ideally, you want long-fibre sphagnum for the best results.
Humidity
Lots of people choose to grow venus flytraps in terrariums so that they have high enough levels of humidity, but this is not a must. Your venus flytrap will grow happily outside a terrarium and will sometimes struggle with the high humidity levels inside one – which can lead to rotting.
If you have an open-top terrarium, your flytrap will be happy in there. Alternatively, you can grow it in the open, provided you mist it or stand it above a tray of water so that it gets a good amount of humidity. This will help to keep the growing medium damp without actively watering it.
Water
Venus flytraps grow in bogs, so they don’t want to be dried out. You should water your flytrap any time it is starting to get dry, and more often in summer, as water will evaporate faster, and you don’t want the roots to get hot.
You can stand your plant in water, but you should lift it out and allow it to get a little drier from time to time, or it may start to rot.
Never use tap water for your flytrap; they cannot cope with the minerals in it. Rainwater will work fine; just stand a bucket outside and use this to water your plant. Tap water will clog up the roots and kill the plant fast.
Sunlight
These plants like a bit of direct sun, although they don’t need huge amounts. Try to stand your plant near a window or get a grow light to help it if you haven’t got a suitable spot.
However, you should remember that venus flytraps have a natural period of dormancy each year, brought on by low light levels and cold weather. They must be allowed to do this, not forced to keep growing.
Summary: Where Do Venus Flytraps Come From?
Venus flytraps are native to North and South Carolina on the East Coast of the United States.
Flytraps come from tropical marshes and therefore enjoy it if you can replicate these conditions closely at home. Give them some direct light, keep their roots nice and wet, and provide occasional bursts of humidity, and they will be very happy plants!
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