Carnivorous Plants

In 2025, I started getting into carnivorous plants, specifically Venus Flytraps. I have a small collection of "rescue" plants that I saved from "death boxes" at Home Depot. I used to have a Venus Flytrap as a kid, but I didn't know what I was doing. Now I do. :)

I'm sharing my knowledge about these fascinating plants here and to hopefully help spread information about the proper care of these plants. They are not as hard to care for as you might think, but they do have some specific needs.

My Collection

Here's the latest photo of my collection as of July 2025:

The top pot has plants A-E. These were all in a single pot when I got them. The ryzome had already split into multiple plants. The middle pot contains Steve (left), an unnamed plant (top right), one of the splits (bottom left), and Harold (bottom right). You can tell Harold is a bit unhappy and struggling, but he's still alive and holding on. The bottom pot has Gerald (top). He's my first Venus Flytrap. You can tell he's thriving as he has the largest traps. He keeps sprouting new, larger traps. Daphne (bottom) is also doing very well. She's sprouting new traps as well. There's a small unnamed plant to the left, and I believe was part of the large cluster. There's new growth and lots of great color. On the right is another unnamed plant that was rescued starting to flower. It was in rough shape when I got it, but you can tell there's finally some new growth.

Venus Flytrap Care

Venus Flytraps are native to the wetlands of North and South Carolina. They thrive in environments that are sunny, humid, and have nutrient-poor soil. Here are some care tips:

Light: They need at least 4-6 hours of direct sunlight daily. They don't want to be in the shade or on a windowsill. They're outdoor plants. If you can't provide enough sunlight, you'll need a very bright grow light and give them 12-16 hours of light daily.
Water: Use only distilled water, rainwater, or reverse osmosis water. Tap water contains minerals that can harm the plant. I use a TDS meter that I got from Amazon to check water quality. You want a PPM of 0-1 ideally, but they'll tolerate 50 or less. Anything else will burn the roots. You want to keep the soil moist, but not waterlogged. I use a self-watering pot with a bottom reservoir. You can also use the tray method (or bowl) where you put about an inch of water in a tray and let the plant soak it up.
Soil: Speaking of soil, they need a nutrient-poor, well-draining mix. A common mix is 1:1 peat moss and perlite or sand. Do not use regular potting soil and never use fertilizer or anything Miracle-Gro. Regular soil is too rich in nutrients and will kill the plant. Remember, they get their nutrients from photosynthesis and the insects they catch. Be careful with soil from Amazon. I used some and my plants didn't like it. I strongly recommend the soil mix from California Carnivores. It's expensive, but worth it.
Pots: Use plastic or glazed ceramic pots, plastic is preferred. Do not use terracotta or clay as it can leach minerals into the soil and slowly kill the plant. Make sure the pot has lots of drainage holes. You want deep pots as they like to stretch their roots down towards the water.
Humidity: While they prefer high humidity, please don't put them in a terrarium. They'll tolerate normal humidity just fine. I've heard of people with these in Arizona and California with no issues.
Feeding: Believe it or not, they don't require bugs to survive. They can live just fine on photosynthesis alone. If they live outside, they'll naturally catch bugs. Never feed them human food, they're plants, not people! If you do want to feed them, use small, live insects like flies, ants, or spiders. The insect should be about 1/3 the size of the trap. A live insect will keep the trap stimulated and will close and seal properly. Dead insects will generally cause the trap to open back up. Do not overfeed them. A trap can only close 3-4 times before it dies. Since mine live outside, I don't feed them. They catch enough bugs on their own.
Dormancy: Venus Flytraps require a dormancy period in the winter. This is crucial for their health. During this time, they need cooler temperatures (around 35-50°F or 1-10°C - they can tolerate the occasional snow and freeze, but they prefer not to freeze.) and reduced light. You can achieve this by placing them in an unheated garage, basement, or a cool windowsill. Reduce watering during dormancy, keeping the soil just barely moist. The plants will lose their leaves and appear dead, but this is normal. After 3-4 months, they will start to grow again as temperatures rise and daylight increases.
Repotting: Repot your Venus Flytrap every 1-2 years in fresh soil to prevent mineral buildup and to check the health of the rhizome. Spring is the best time to repot, just as new growth begins.
Pests: Watch out for pests like aphids, spider mites, and fungus gnats. If you notice any, treat them with insecticidal soap or neem oil. Avoid using chemical pesticides as they can harm the plant. Also, squirrels like to eat the plants.
Propagation: You can propagate Venus Flytraps through division, or seeds. Division is the easiest method. When repotting, you can separate the rhizomes if they have multiple growth points. Each division should have at least one healthy rhizome and some roots. Plant them in fresh soil and care for them as you would a mature plant. Growing from seeds is more challenging and takes longer, but it's rewarding. Seeds can be sown in a mix of peat and sand, kept moist, and placed in a warm, sunny location. Germination can take several weeks to months.
General Care: Remove dead or dying leaves and traps to keep the plant healthy. Use clean, sharp scissors to avoid introducing diseases. However, you can let the traps die off naturally as they will be replaced by new growth. That's what I do. Also, avoid touching the traps unnecessarily as this can stress the plant and cause it to waste energy.
Flowering: Venus Flytraps can produce flowers, but it's often recommended to remove the flower stalks when they appear. Flowering can divert energy from the plant's growth and trap production. If you choose to let your plant flower, be prepared for a potential decrease in trap size and overall vigor. Typically unhealthy plants are likely to flower as a last-ditch effort to reproduce. But if you remove the flower stalks, the plant can redirect its energy back into producing traps and foliage and recover. Deciding whether to let your Venus Flytrap flower is a personal choice, but many growers recommend prioritizing the plant's health and trap production. You can also propagate through flower stalks by cutting them and placing them in a suitable growing medium.

Flytrap Rescue

If you buy a Venus Flytrap from a big box store like Home Depot, Lowes, or Walmart, chances are it's in a "death box". These plants are usually kept in poor conditions with inadequate light and improper watering (if at all). These plants are often sold in small pots, in plastic boxes with bad information on them. Generally, they say you can leave it in the box. This is terrible advice. Follow the tips above, and you can save these plants.

When you get your rescue plant home, the first thing you want to do is remove it from the box. Get it into a bowl of distilled water and let it soak. It's probably very dry and thirsty. Depending on the size of the plant, you may want to repot it, but it's generally fine to leave it in the pot it came in for now. Since these plants are usually kept inside with little light, they will need to slowly acclimate to the sun or they will get sunburned. Start with a few hours of morning sun and gradually increase the amount of sun they get over a week or two. If you throw them outside into full sun right away, they will likely get scorched and become stressed. You can tell some of my plants got sunburned, but the new growth will come in ready for sun.

Your rescue plant will thank you for saving it and will thrive with proper care. Remember, these plants are resilient and can bounce back from neglect with the right attention. Happy growing!