Without a doubt the most famous carnivorous plant, the Venus Flytrap is - for many growers - a gateway drug! Charles Darwin famously described the plant as "one of the most wonderful in the world," and few who have witnessed a healthy trap snapping shut on an insect would disagree.
There is only one species of Venus Flytrap - Dionaea muscipula - but dozens of weird and wonderful cultivars are available. Most forms consist of a small rosette of leaves (called petioles), each of which ends in a trap. The traps of adult plants are typically around 2.5 cm in length, but can reach up to 5 cm in some of the giant varieties.
Dionaea Muscipula Giant Venus Flytrap
Venus Flytraps need direct sunlight for healthy growth. If you’re growing your plant indoors, choose a bright sunny windowsill. Insufficient sunlight will cause your flytrap’s leaves to become weak and floppy, and the insides of its traps will lack red colouration.
They do not require a terrarium to grow, although they often appreciate the higher humidity of the enclosed environment. They can be happy in terrariums provided you respect their winter dormancy requirements and provide sufficient light. Artificial lighting can work well, particularly high-powered fluorescents such as T5 growlights.
They can grow extremely well in conservatories and unheated greenhouses.