Light

• Flytraps need strong light , ideally 6+ hours of direct sun daily. Outdoors in full sun is best.
  
  

• If you grow indoors, a south-facing window may work, but many indoor windows don’t supply enough light, in that case, use a grow light and keep it on for 12–16 hours/day.
  
  

• Without enough light, traps become weak, pale, the plant will struggle.

Soil & Water

• Use a nutrient-poor, acidic soil mix mimicking its natural boggy habitat, typically 50% sphagnum peat moss + 50% coarse sand or perlite. Avoid standard potting soil or mixes that include fertilizers.

• Never fertilize your flytrap. In the wild they grow in nutrient-poor soils and get nutrients from insects. Fertilizer will likely kill or weaken them.

• Watering: Keep the pot sitting in a tray or dish of distilled, rain, or reverse-osmosis water, about ½–1 inch deep. The soil should remain constantly moist, but not waterlogged. 

• Never use tap water (unless you’re absolutely sure it’s very soft, low in dissolved minerals). Most tap or well water will kill carnivorous plants over time.
  
  

🌡 Temperature & Dormancy

• During growing season the flytrap prefers warm temps (approx. 70–95°F / 21–35 °C). Indoors or outdoors if your summers are mild, this works great.
  
  

• In its native coastal-plain region, the plant experiences colder winters, dormancy helps long-term health. If you grow outdoors and winters get chilly (near freezing), it’s best to allow a 3–4 month dormancy with cooler temps and reduced watering.
  
  

• If you’re growing indoors year-round, dormancy isn’t strictly required, but reproducing cooler and shorter light conditions can improve vigor.
  
  

🐞 Feeding & Care

• Venus flytraps are adapted to nutrient-poor bog soils and rely on insects/spiders (not soil nutrients). If your plant is indoors and doesn’t catch live prey, you can feed live insects (e.g. flies) occasionally. Avoid feeding meat, dead bugs, or fertilizer. 

• You don’t need a terrarium, in fact many experts advise against the small plastic “cup terrariums.” Let the plant breathe, especially if humidity is reasonable.
  
  

• Repotting: Use a small pot (3–4 in / 8–10 cm), because flytraps have shallow roots. Use fresh peat+sand/perlite mix if you must repot, avoid regular potting mixes.
  
  

⚠ Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Don’t use tap water, most have too many dissolved minerals.

• Don’t fertilize or use nutrient-rich soil.

• Don’t under-light. Weak light = weak traps = plant decline.

• Don’t let soil dry out. Flytraps hate dry roots; they evolved in boggy soils.
  
  

🌎 Notes on Conservation & Ethics

The flytrap is native to a narrow coastal region of North Carolina and South Carolina. It’s adapted to boggy, acidic, nutrient-poor soils, often maintained by natural fires and seasonal wet/dry cycles. 

Because its wild habitat is shrinking (development, fire suppression, drainage), wild-collected flytraps are endangered. Always purchase from reliable growers who propagate plants responsibly, this protects native populations.