Venus fly trap
The Green East

Venus fly trap

£6.00
/
Tax included.

If you’re looking for a plant with a bit of "personality," you really can’t go past the Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula). It’s easily our most iconic specimen. There’s something quite captivating about a plant that behaves more like a pet! They aren't just fascinating to look at; they are a brilliant way to get children (and grown-ups) interested in the wonders of botany.

The Venus fly trap is a carnivorous plant known for its unique ability to trap and digest insects. With specialized leaves and a rapid closing mechanism, it is able to thrive in nutrient-poor environments. 

The Origin

  • Surprising Roots: Despite their exotic, alien appearance, they aren't from a tropical jungle. They are actually native to the wetlands of North and South Carolina in the United States.

  • Bog Dwellers: They evolved in nutrient-poor, acidic peat bogs. Because the soil offers so little "food," they developed their famous snapping traps to catch insects and supplement their diet with nitrogen.

Indoor Care Guide

  • Light: These are sun-worshippers. They need plenty of bright, direct sunlight to thrive and keep their traps a healthy deep red inside. A south-facing windowsill is usually the best spot.

  • Watering: This is the golden rule—never use tap water. The minerals and chlorine in our British tap water will eventually kill them. Use only rainwater, distilled water, or deionised water.

  • The "Bog" Method: Keep the pot sitting in a shallow tray of about 1-2cm of water at all times during the growing season. They love "wet feet."

  • Feeding: If kept indoors, you might need to give them a hand. Drop a live fly or small spider into a trap once every few weeks. Don't trigger the traps for fun, as it wastes the plant's precious energy!

  • Winter Rest: Don't be alarmed, but they go dormant in the winter. They’ll look a bit tatty and might stop growing; just move them to a cooler spot and reduce the watering slightly until spring.

Toxicity

  • Safe for Pets: You'll be pleased to know they are non-toxic to cats and dogs.

  • Human Friendly: They are perfectly safe for humans, too. While a trap might snap shut on a curious finger, it doesn't hurt—it just feels like a tiny, leafy tickle!

Sold without decorative pot, colour and size may vary slightly.

Local plant delivery or collection available in Belfast and throughout Northern Ireland.