| Insectivorous perennial found in bogs in coastal areas of North and South Carolina. It has hinged, rounded, 2-lobed leaves, with stiff marginal spines and 3 or 4 sensitive hairs in the center of each lobe. When an insect, attracted by the nectar of the plant, touches the hairs, the hinge mechanism is triggered, and the leaves close, trapping the insect. Cup-shaped flowers are borne in umbel-like cymes. Where not hardy, grow Dionaea muscipula in a terrarium or in a cool greenhouse. Elsewhere grow in a bog garden. Anthracnose, leaf spot, and crown rot are common. |
Under glass, grow in an acidic mix of equal parts peat moss and sand in full or bright filtered light, or in a terrarium in bright light. Keep wet by standing in a saucer with ½ inch of water. Growth ceases in autumn, leaving swollen leaf bases in a bulb-like structure below soil level. Keep just moist when dormant. Pot on each spring as new growth appears. Outdoors, grow in moist acidic soil in full sun. To encourage trap production, pinch out emerging flower stems and remove dead traps.
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Attributes - Dionaea muscipula
Plant Type: Perennial
Bloom Season: Early Summer through Mid Summer
Flower Color: White
Foliage: Deciduous
Height: 6 in. to 1 ft. 6 in.
Width: 6 in.
Sunlight: Full Sun, Partial Sun
Climate: Zones 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
Notes: Thrives in Acid Soil, Wet Soil. Container Plants.
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