How to Provide Proper Lighting to a Venus Flytrap

A Venus flytrap's natural environment is hot, humid and full of natural lighting. Because this environment can be hard to mimic, depending on what area of the country you live in, you may be cultivating your Venus flytrap indoors. If you are, the right kind of lighting is very important.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Remember that the best place for a Venus flytrap when it's not in dormancy is the outdoors. If you're keeping your plant outdoors, make sure it gets about 14 hours of direct sunlight every day. If you're worried that it's too cold for your plant outdoors, try placing it on a south-facing windowsill.

2. Use fluorescent lights with a minimum of a 40-watt bulb. Place your plants a foot or less away from the lights, if possible. You may need to set up a table for your plants with fluorescent desk lamps.

3. Avoid using light bulbs that produce heat. These light bulbs can actually burn and kill plants in only a few hours.

4. Consider using automatic plant lights for single plants. Automatic plant lights are great since you can set a timer to mimic natural lighting and you don't have to worry about forgetting to turn on the light.

Tips & Warnings

• You will know if your plant is getting enough light if the inside of the trap turns red.