Family: Droseracae.
Genus: Dionaea
Common Name: Venus flytrap; French, dionee; German, Venus Fliegenfalle.
Origin: North Carolina, South Carolina.

Habitat:  
In its natural habitat, the Venus flytrap prefers savanna plains, where there are few trees and bushes, like those found in North and South Carolina.  Here the plants often grow surrounded by grasses and other carnivorous plants.  The plants grow in a variety of soil types such as peat, sand, or loam.  With an acid ph of between 4 and 5.  The Venus flytrap can withstand full sun but only in soil with a high moisture content.  Plants are perennial and are able to withstand temperatures of –10F, but in their natural habitat the temperature rarely falls below 32F.  Seedlings however, are unable to withstand colder temperatures and will not survive. 

Description.
Adult plants have a great range in size depending on their environment.  The largest I have personally grown was a total leaf length of 4 ½ inches including the trap, which was 1 ½ inches in length.  The flower stalks range in height to 14 inches.  The flytrap usually grows anywhere from 4 to 8 leaves in a rosette formation.  It usually does not have more than 8 leaves because the older traps age out and turn black.  Leaves grow from a short rhizome surrounded by the base of the petioles.  The petioles are shorter and the traps larger in stronger light.  The petioles lengthen and the traps shorten in subdued light.. 

The Trap:  
The trap is formed by two lobes at the end of the leaf which are usually green with a red tint on the inside.  The face of each side of the trap has three hairs (rarely more) in a triangular formation.  They are surrounded by digestive glands which form the red color.  The periphery of each lobe has a narrow green edging, supplied with nectar-secreting cells that attract the insects.  The outer limit of the lobe is edged with pointed teeth, arranged so that the teeth mesh when the two lobes close on an insect.  The triggering mechanism  is the three hairs on each leaf.  One of these hairs must be touched twice or one then another before the trap will close. 

In perfect conditions, closure takes place in one thirtieth of a second and will actually produce a snapping  sound.  The speed changes greatly with rises and fall in temperature or as the trap becomes older.  The double-trigger mechanism avoids the trap unnecessarily closing on something other than prey, such as falling plant debris, rain drops, or an accidental brush.  The traps close by the cells on the outer leaf surface doubling in size forcing the two lobes together, technically growing shut.  To open, the plant has to increase the cell  length on the inner surface, forcing the lobes apart.  This takes a lot of energy and each leaf is only able to do this about four times before its death, and a new leaf grows.  When accidentally triggered the plant will reopen in 24 hours. 

Flowers:   
The flowers are borne on stalks which develop in May or June.  Each plant has one to four depending on its age and size.  The flowers are set in an umbel in groups of two to fifteen.  They are regular star-shaped and have five green sepals, five white petals, and about fifteen stamens.  Each flower is small, from ½ to ¾ of an inch.  After fertilization, the shiny black seeds mature in about 5 weeks.  These can be sewn immediately or kept in the refrigerator until spring.  Sew them on fine sieved peat.  Germination occurs more rapidly at higher temperatures, but they must be kept damp at all times.  You may thin the plants after their first tiny traps appear.
 

Pest and Diseases:
Aphids may be a problem, but don’t usually kill the plant but may deform it.  On the other hand, the larva of the fungus gnat, will kill the plant.  Any insect problem can be eliminated by treatment with Orthene, a product of Ortho, which can be purchased through your local garden center. The flytrap may also be susceptible to fungus in certain growing conditions.  This may be treated with Daconil 2787 which may also be purchased at your local garden center.  Simply follow the directions on the label.