How to Prune a Venus Flytrap

If you're caring for a Venus flytrap, you may notice many of the leaves grow old and die. They can actually turn black. Not only is it unattractive, but if you don't remove the dead plant material, your Venus flytrap may develop molds and fungus. If you notice dead plant material, you can prune off the dead leaves without harming the plant.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Pruning scissors

1. Remember that the traps are actually modified leaves and you can trim them without harming the plant. As your Venus flytrap grows new traps, the old ones naturally turn black and die off.

2. Use pruning scissors or a small, sharp pair of scissors to prune your Venus flytrap.

3. Trim off the dead leaves as close to the base of the plant as possible. If you notice dead traps, but the stems are still green, feel free to snip off the dead heads and leave most of the stem in place.

4. Plan on trimming off dead leaves as your Venus flytrap goes into dormancy. This will happen at the end of the summer. It's a natural cycle of the plant and nothing to worry about.

Tips & Warnings

• Never simply pull the dead leaves or dead heads off your Venus flytrap as this could harm the plant.
• Never cut into the bulb or the root section of the Venus flytrap. You could kill the entire plant.