How Large Can Venus Fly Traps Grow to Be?

The Venus flytrap is originally from the bogs of North and South Carolina.

The Venus flytrap has made its way out of the bogs of North and South Carolina and into home terrariums all over the world. This is in part due to rapidly growing fascination with carnivorous plants, as well the plant's easy maintenance.

Expected Size

With proper soil, water and an abundance of bugs, a Venus flytrap specimen can grow to a maximum size of 5 inches in diameter. A leaf trap is usually about 1 inch in length, with four to eight traps on a healthy plant and up to 20 on an unusually prolific specimen.

Bigger Isn't Better

The Venus flytrap has evolved to capture small insects, using this protein to supplement the lack of nutrients in Carolina swamps. How the plant actually closes the trap is still somewhat of a mystery.

Growing Larger Traps

Selective breeding has created plants with larger traps, though not larger plants. The plant itself not only seeds, but also reproduces via rhizomes or cloning. Acquiring a clone of a plant with desired trap size is the best method of attaining a large plant.

References

• Botany: Venus Fly Trap
• International Carnivorous Plant Society: Venus Fly Traps
• Fly Trap Care: FAQ