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Venus Flytrap Care Guide

Dionaea muscipula

By the Plantshop.com Editorial Team · Updated 6 Nov 2026 · How we research · Report an error

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The Venus flytrap is a carnivorous plant from the Carolinas that catches insects with snapping traps. It is not a typical houseplant: it needs strong sun and mineral-free water, and benefits from a cool winter rest (dormancy), which plants kept under strong grow lights can skip.

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Light

Full sun: 4+ hours of direct light. Rotate the pot every few weeks so growth stays even.

Water

Use the tray method: grow it in a pot with a drainage hole standing in a dish of about 1/2 to 1 inch (1-2.5 cm) of water, and water by filling the dish so water seeps up into the pot. Keep the mix always moist but never soggy, and never let the dish dry out. Use only rainwater, distilled or reverse-osmosis water; tap, bottled and filtered water can kill it. Care differs during winter dormancy.

Humidity and temperature

Humidity: high. 65-75°F (18-24°C) while growing. For a winter rest (dormancy), keep it at about 35-50°F (2-10°C) for at least 10 weeks; plants under strong grow lights year-round can skip dormancy.

Soil and feeding

Plant it in a peat-based mix: whole-fiber sphagnum moss, or about equal parts sphagnum peat and coarse sand or coarse vermiculite. Never use regular potting soil or mixes with added fertilizer. Water only with rainwater, distilled or reverse-osmosis water; tap, bottled and filtered water carry minerals that can kill it. Do not fertilize. It catches its own insects; if it is indoors and catching little, you can occasionally give a trap a live insect no bigger than about a third of the trap. Never feed it meat.

Our tip

Never use tap water or fertilizer, and don't trigger the traps for fun; each trap closes only a few times.

Common problems

• Black traps: Normal after a few closures, or from tap water or low light.
• Weak, floppy growth: Not enough sun.
• Decline after a year: Often no winter rest; give it a cool dormancy (about 35-50°F) or strong year-round grow lights.

Pets

Non-toxic to cats and dogs (ASPCA), according to the ASPCA plant list. Check any plant in our Pet-Safe Plant Checker.