Venus flytrap

The plant that catches insects

The Venus flytrap is without doubt the most famous carnivorous plant in the world. At the tips of its leaves it bears extraordinary structures: two lobes edged with long bristles, like small green traps often reddened inside. When an insect lands and brushes against the fine sensory hairs on the surface, the trap snaps shut with surprising speed, closing and imprisoning the prey. It is one of the most fascinating spectacles in the plant world.

Habitat and distribution

In the wild the Venus flytrap lives in a very restricted area of the south-eastern United States, in particular in the bogs and moist, marshy soils of some coastal areas. These are soils poor in nutrients: precisely for this reason the plant has evolved the ability to 'hunt', supplementing with insects the nutrients, such as nitrogen, that the soil cannot provide.

How the trap works

The mechanism of the Venus flytrap is surprisingly sophisticated. Inside each lobe are tiny sensitive hairs: the trap snaps shut only if these are touched several times in a short period, a device that avoids wasting energy on false alarms such as a raindrop. Once closed, if the prey is alive and struggles, the trap seals itself and begins digestion, which lasts several days. Each individual trap can snap shut only a limited number of times before it is exhausted.

Cultivation and care

The Venus flytrap is much loved as a houseplant and a collector's plant, but it requires particular care. It loves plenty of light, preferably direct sun, and an acidic, poor substrate without fertiliser. Water is crucial: it must be watered only with rainwater or distilled water, never with tap water, which is rich in salts that are harmful to it. It should not be 'fed' by hand or teased for fun: triggering the traps for no reason weakens it.

Conservation

The Venus flytrap is classified as a vulnerable species. In the wild it is threatened by the destruction of its habitat and by the illegal collection of wild plants. Fortunately it is today widely cultivated: choosing nursery-grown specimens, rather than ones taken from the wild, is the most responsible way to enjoy this extraordinary plant.