Venus Fly Trap (Dionaea Muscipula)

This plant thrives in bright indirect light, which means it needs a well-lit space without harsh direct sunlight. Ideal locations include east or north-facing windows, or spots near south or west-facing windows with filtered light through a sheer curtain to protect its foliage.

Venus flytraps are very sensitive to water quality and moisture levels—always use rainwater, distilled water, or RO water (never tap water, as dissolved salts and minerals can kill them). Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged by using the tray method: place the pot in a shallow tray with 1–2 cm of water, allowing the plant to absorb moisture from below, and let the tray dry out slightly before refilling. During active growth (spring–autumn), maintain steady moisture, while in winter dormancy, reduce watering to just enough to keep the soil barely damp. The growing medium should never dry out completely.

For Venus flytraps, the growing media must be nutrient-poor, acidic, and airy—never use regular potting soil, compost, or manure, as these will kill the plant. A classic mix is 50% sphagnum peat moss and 50% perlite (or silica sand), which provides the right acidity and excellent drainage while retaining enough moisture. You can also use long-fiber sphagnum moss mixed with perlite in the same ratio. The key is to keep the medium free of fertilizers and rich organic matter, ensuring the roots stay healthy in the low-nutrient conditions Venus flytraps naturally thrive in.

For Venus flytraps, avoid regular plant fertilizers because their roots are highly sensitive and can burn; instead, they obtain most of their nutrients by catching insects, so let them naturally trap small bugs indoors or outdoors, or occasionally feed them live or freshly killed insects no larger than one-third the size of a trap (such as ants, small flies, or spiders) once every 2–4 weeks, feeding only a few traps at a time to avoid stress. Never use chemical or organic fertilizers in the soil, and if insects aren’t available, a very diluted orchid fertilizer or foliar spray can sometimes be misted lightly on the leaves, but this should be rare—overall, proper sunlight, pure water (rain, distilled, or RO), and occasional insect meals are the best “fertilizer” for Venus flytraps.