Venus Flytrap

---

This is another of my favorite plants; I bought it the same time I bought the Butterwort. It subsists on insects which it catches in its "jaws of life" and thus it can live in soils (in this case peat) with very little nutrients. I have named it Joao, thinking it was native to Brasil. I later found out they're native to South Carolina. I considered changing it's name to Rhett, but by then Joao had stuck. Anyway, I once fed it some ground beef, but not surprisingly, it didn't like it very much. I will feed it insects every once in a while, but Joao seems to do well enough feeding without my help. The quarter is there so that you can get an idea of how big Joao is.

Oh yeah, like the Butterwort, I give this rainwater to drink - and a lot of it, like the Butterwort, I sometimes water it 2 times a day. Also, Venus Flytraps need a dormant period during the winter. I haven't yet gone through a winter with Joao, but when I do I'll tell how that works. Apparently, you're supposed to put it in a bag or something in the garage or cellar (neither of which do I have), and put a do not disturb sign on it's head. The traps are supposed to all die and it should basically look like it's dead.

One last thing: when a Venus Flytrap is done digesting an insect, the traps open up to reveal the remnants of the insect. As with the Butterwort, when it rains, the dead carcasses of the insects which could not be fully digested are washed away. Pretty neat little system, eh? I've seen a spider in there - I had earlier seen spider webs in one of the traps and was very impressed that the spider didn't get eaten. Not that it would matter, though; any insect which happened to get caught in the web would certainly have triggered the little hairs that cause the traps to close. The quarter is there to show relative size. For some action shots, click here.

Home | Pastimes & Hobbies
Butterwort | Venus Flytrap
Mexican Lime Tree | Valencia Orange Tree
Gardenia