The Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) is perhaps the most famous carnivorous plant. You’ve probably seen them in horror movies or snapping at Mario in Super Mario Bros. if you haven’t seen them in real life.
While they don’t breathe fire or have large white spots, Venus Flytraps can seem ominous. But, they’re not as scary as they look and make wonderful unique houseplants. When they are being grown, a lot of people question whether or not this plant is really a flower.
Yes, the Venus Flytrap does produce flowers, but not in ways you might expect. Let’s take a look at everything you should know about this very unique and interesting plant.
Before we answer the question, we have to understand what carnivorous plants are and how they work. As daunting as these plants may seem, they’re really easy to define.
Venus flytraps are fascinating carnivorous plants that catch and digest insects and spiders. Their unique trapping leaves that snap shut when an unsuspecting bug crawls across them make flytraps a popular houseplant. But did you know that Venus flytraps also produce flowers?
Venus flytraps flower every year as part of their natural growth cycle. The flowering period is in late spring and early summer. During this time, Venus flytraps send up tall flower stalks with white blooms on the ends.
Why Do Venus Flytraps Flower?
Venus flytraps flower for the purpose of sexual reproduction. The flowers contain the plant’s reproductive structures to produce seeds. This allows new genetically diverse Venus flytrap plants to grow in the wild.
In late spring mature Venus flytrap plants that are 2-3 years old start directing energy into growing a tall flower stalk. The stalk emerges from the center of the plant and can reach up to 12 inches tall. This growth spurt exceeds the height of the short carnivorous leaves clustered at the base.
Multiple small white flowers develop on the flower stalk. Their color, shape, and height above the trap leaves help attract pollinating insects. Bees, wasps, and flies visit the flowers but avoid getting caught in the traps below.
After successful pollination, seeds develop in seed pods at the end of the flower stalk. Venus flytrap seeds drop to the ground and germinate to produce new plants.
What Do Venus Flytrap Flowers Look Like?
The flowers of Venus flytraps are petite and white with five petals. The small 0.4-0.6 inch (1-1.5 cm) flowers grow in a cyme inflorescence on tall upright stalks.
Up to 25 flowers can develop on each 8-12 inch tall flower scape. The multiple blooms open sequentially, starting from the bottom.
Venus flytrap flowers have a simple, understated elegance. Their upward-facing orientation and height on bare stalks help attract pollinators. In contrast, the broad tooth-lined lobes of the carnivorous leaves are low growing.
When Does a Venus Flytrap Bloom?
Venus flytraps produce flowers in late spring and early summer. The flowering season is from May through June.
Flowering coincides with increasing day length and temperatures in the Venus flytrap’s native habitat. The seasonal cues stimulate the plant to send up flower stalks.
Outdoors, Venus flytraps growing in suitable warm climates flower at this time. Indoor plants may bloom erratically or in winter if the lighting and temperatures are incorrect.
Should You Allow Venus Flytraps to Flower?
Many carnivorous plant growers recommend pinching off Venus flytrap flower stalks to encourage fuller leaf growth. However, letting your flytrap bloom once a year is important for its health.
Here are pros and cons of allowing Venus flytraps to flower:
Pros:
- Flowers are part of the natural growth cycle.
- Seeds promote genetic diversity.
- Watching the blooms is interesting.
- Removing flowers constantly can weaken plants.
Cons:
- Flowering redirects energy from leaf growth.
- Indoor plants may bloom weakly at the wrong time.
- Flowers are not showy compared to traps.
- Seeds have low viability without cross-pollination.
As a rule of thumb, allow your Venus flytrap to flower once a year. Cut off any subsequent flower stalks to promote vigorous traps. Letting the plant regularly complete its entire lifecycle keeps it healthy.
Can You Propagate Venus Flytraps from Flower Stalks?
The flower stalks can be used to propagate new Venus flytrap plants after the blooms fade. This creates clones of the parent plant.
Follow these steps:
- Cut 3-4 inch segments of flower stalk when blooms finish.
- Lay segments sideways on damp sphagnum moss.
- New plantlets will sprout where the stalk touches moss.
- Separate plants after a few months and repot.
This method avoids the challenges of growing flytraps from seed. Propagating from flower stalks produces mature, trapping plants in less time.
Tips for Caring for Blooming Venus Flytraps
Venus flytraps need optimum care while flowering and producing seeds. Here are some tips:
- Place in a sunny window and provide at least 4 hours of direct sun daily.
- Keep the soil moist with distilled or rain water, not tap water.
- Mist leaves occasionally to increase humidity.
- Don’t feed insects while flowering or seed pods are developing.
- Cut off flower stalks once they turn brown and dry.
Avoid repotting or dividing Venus flytraps while they are flowering or have seed pods. Wait until after flowering finishes to refresh the soil or propagate plants.
Proper lighting, moisture, humidity, and dormancy are key to having a rewarding Venus flytrap flowering season and keeping plants vigorous. Allowing the unique processes of carnivorous plant reproduction to unfold is an educational and satisfying experience for an indoor gardener.
What About the Venus Flytrap?
The Venus Flytrap evolved a little differently. Their mouth-like traps are on display for all to see. These traps are modified leaves that are lined with insect-attracting nectar. The thin teeth-like growths you see lining the edges are trigger hairs.
When an unassuming insect touches one of these hairs, the mouth clamps shut, trapping it inside. This plant then excretes digestive enzymes, which eat away at the prey for about a week. Once the insect has been eaten, the plant then reopens its mouth to entice more unsuspecting prey.
What Are Carnivorous Plants?
Like other carnivores, these plants catch and kill their prey. No matter what kind of bug or other prey it is, once it is caught, the plant eats it to get the nutrients it needs. There are many ways for different kinds of carnivorous plants to catch their food. Some can even catch and eat small rodents.
Carnivorous plants are the products of evolution. They first appeared 70 million years ago following several mutations to adapt to difficult times. Several studies have shown that non-carnivorous plants mutated in different ways due to a lack of nutrients. They did this by duplicating their genomes (DNA) and, with those copies, were able to diversify their purpose. Leaf and root DNA were affected the most, changing to not only catch prey but also absorb its nutrients.
The great success of these mutations caused the original leaf and root genomes to become redundant, and so, they began to disappear. These plants also adapted and changed according to their environment, resulting in several species of carnivorous plants. Some are highly specialized and complex, like Bladderworts. This unassuming carnivore traps its prey using hidden, trap-door-like bladders (which are mutated leaves).
Others are far more simple – like Pitcher Plants. These plants have mutated tubed leaves that are slick and lined with tiny hairs. Small insects get trapped inside these vase-like leaves and can’t get out. Water tends to collect inside these leaves too, drowning the trapped prey. In the wild, Pitcher Plants and others like it, sometimes catch small animals.
Venus Flytrap Flower Stalk Cutting: Should You Cut Off A Venus Flytrap Flower Stalk? When & How?
FAQ
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