Introduction
Venus Flytraps (Dionaea Muscipula) are undoubted the most famous carnivorous plant known. Its unique trapping mechanism fascinated and drew a lot of gardeners’ attention. Endangered in the wild, Venus Flytraps are yet the most cultivated carnivorous plant in the world, thanks to modern propagating methods like tissue culture.
Venus Flytraps grow a rosette of leaves. These leaves not only for photosynthesis, but it also trap insects. The leaf is divided into two lobes, attached to a petiole. On every lobe, there are tiny hairs called trigger hairs. When an insect touches the hair twice, the trap is sprung and the lobes shuts are an astonishing speed.
Typical Venus Flytrap
Cultivation
Wild Venus Flytraps are found in acidic bogs in USA. They grow in nutrient deficient soil and it is always waterlogged. Hence, mimicking the growing condition of the plant makes it possible for cultivation. They can be grown in nutrient free media or any typical carnivorous plant mixes. Carnivorous plant gardeners grow them in full dried long-fibre sphagnum moss or a 1:1 sand and peat mix. The media must be kept moist and wet all the time, so usually the pot is placed in a tray of water.
They require full sunlight to thrive well and their traps will turn red when given enough sunlight. Do not add any fertilisers into the media! That will almost kill them instantly. Water preferably distilled or rain water and do not use mineral water. Mineral water may cause mineral build-up in the media and hence killing the plant. Tap water in Singapore is safe to use on these delicate plants.
Venus Flytraps have mouth like leaves
Cultivars
There are a lot of cultivars available commercially. There are all-red Venus Flytrap that will turn the entire plant into burgundy red to purple in colour when given full sunlight. Some of the famous red forms are Dionaea Muscipula ‘Akai Ryu’ and Dionaea Muscipula ‘Royal Red’. There are also cultivars that grow big traps like Dionaea Muscipula ‘Big Mouth’. Rare cultivars like Dionaea Muscipula ‘Cupped Traps’ and Dionaea Muscipula ‘Shark’s Teeth’ have unique traps and features.
A newly potted Dionaea Muscipula ‘Akai Ryu’
Propagation
Venus Flytraps do produce flowers. The parent plant will release all its energy to produce flowers and usually die after flowering. Gardeners usually snip off the flowering stalks to keep them alive. Seeds are black in colour and look similar to a sesame seed. Seeds can be sown in carnivorous plant media and take two to four weeks to germinate.
They can also be propagated by leaf cuttings. Leaf cuttings generally take a shorter time than growing from seeds.
Need for dormancy
As they are found in temperate regions, Venus Flytraps need a “rest” period. During winter, it will shed all their leaves to almost nothing and only till spring they will come out of dormancy and grow new leaves. Dormancy in cultivation is not an easy task, many gardeners lost their plants when they go into dormancy. Plants that do not undergo dormancy will not last long.
Providing dormancy here in Singapore with tropical weather is extremely hard. Some gardeners placed them under shade and provide a dry environment. Some even put their plants into the refrigerator! Indeed some of these plants make it through the ordeal but some do not.
A fruit fly caught by the Venus Flytrap
Dormancy will be discussed again in later posts. Other than dormancy issue, Venus Flytrap is easy to grow and fascinating to see. It is considered one of the wonders of the nature world. Typical Venus Flytraps are available in some nurseries in Singapore and cultivars are only available from overseas nurseries.
