Plant Finder

Other Names:  Venus Fly Trap

Description:

An interesting native carnivorous plant that traps insects with specially adapted leaves; best in consistently moist soil, with strict cultural care provided; an unusual addition to bog gardens or containers; provide winter protection in colder zones

Ornamental Features

Venus Flytrap features dainty spikes of white star-shaped flowers with chartreuse eyes rising above the foliage from mid to late spring. Its attractive glossy narrow leaves remain lime green in color with showy red variegation throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Venus Flytrap is an open herbaceous perennial with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This is a high maintenance plant that will require regular care and upkeep, and may require the occasional pruning to look its best. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Venus Flytrap is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Container Planting
• Bog Gardens

Planting & Growing

Venus Flytrap will grow to be only 5 inches tall at maturity extending to 12 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 8 inches. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 5 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in moist to wet soil, and will even tolerate some standing water. It is very fussy about its soil conditions and must have rich, acidic soils to ensure success, and is subject to chlorosis (yellowing) of the foliage in alkaline soils. It is quite intolerant of urban pollution, therefore inner city or urban streetside plantings are best avoided, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider covering it with a thick layer of mulch in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This species is native to parts of North America. It can be propagated by division.

Venus Flytrap is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers and foliage against which the larger thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.