Venus Fly Trap - Did You Know

Venus Fly Trap Plant
@nonersays (3335)
United States
April 10, 2022 3:25pm CST
Venus Fly Traps are interesting plants. When you think of one you probably think of Little Shop of Horrors and Audrey II saying "Feed me Seymour." Recently I have decided I want to try keeping a Venus Fly Trap, but I didn't want to immediately kill it so I started doing some research. I have been reading and watching knowledge on the plants for the past few days and have learned some interesting things. First of all, they are not "tropical" plants like I and a lot of other people have always thought. Their natural habitat are the coastal bogs of North and South Carolina! They want full sunlight, and need a cold dormant period to survive long term. They can die down to look dead in the winter and still come back strong in the spring. They are actually SENSITIVE to minerals and nutrients, so need to have nutrient poor soil specialized for carnivorous plants, and no fertilizers. They are so sensitive to minerals that growing them in a clay pot can kill them and using normal potting soils will kill them. Even the nutrients in water can kill them. They should only be watered with distilled, reverse osmosis, or rainwater. Not tap water, not bottled spring water. Nothing with any kind of added minerals. While they can and do eat flies and insects, they do not HAVE to because they are plants. The bugs give them extra but they get most of what they need from the sun. In fact, if you have a plant and feed it too often, it can cause the traps to die and turn black. Some people will give them human food like hamburger, which will harm the plant. Some people even like to trigger the plant just to see it close the traps, and that is also harmful for the plant, as it takes a lot of energy. I also learned the Venus Fly Traps grow flowers! Most people will cut the flowers off because they take a lot of energy from the traps. I'm sure I forgot some of the things I've learned up there, I have so much information I didn't before. Anyway, I took the plunge today and ordered a Venus Fly Trap from an Etsy seller called PreyingPlants. He is from Georgia like I am, and has an Instagram full of beautiful fly traps and other carnivorous plants. I also ordered some carnivorous plant soil from another small business (BabyViolets is also on Etsy, but I ordered the soil through amazon handmade). I alredy have several plastic pots that I can re-plant it in when the time comes. Have you ever owned, or thought of owning, a Venus fly trap? If so, how well did it do for you? Did you already know any of the information that I learned this week?
4 people like this
4 responses
@CarolDM (203422)
• Nashville, Tennessee
10 Apr 22
I always think of the movie for sure. And I knew none of this about these unique plants.
1 person likes this
@allen0187 (58582)
• Philippines
11 Apr 22
Interesting indeed. I'd be interested in having one here at my place.
@jstory07 (139742)
• Roseburg, Oregon
11 Apr 22
That was all stuff that I did not know.
@JudyEv (340216)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Apr 22
There is so much interesting information here. Thanks for sharing it. I'm sure your plant will do well now you know so much about it.