How to Cut Flowers on a Venus Fly Trap

Venus fly traps are known for their leaves' distinctive shape.

The Venus fly trap (Dionaea muscipula) is a carnivorous plant widely recognized for its clamshell-shaped leaves. Because Venus fly traps are not typically allowed to flower, few people realize they are capable of producing white springtime flowers at the end of a 6- to 12-inch stalk. Barry Rice of the Carnivorous Plant Society actually recommends removing the stalk well before flower buds form, since flowering saps much-needed energy from the plant and will be detrimental to its health. If you do choose to let your Venus fly trap flower, you should cut it properly to preserve the flower's beauty.

Things You'll Need

• Gardening shears
• Container
• Cut flower preservative

Instructions

1. Grasp the flower stalk gently with one hand. You will recognize it by its cylindrical shape.

2. Cut the stalk at its base.

3. Add commercially available cut flower preservative to a water-filled container according to the manufacturer's directions. Swish it around gently to mix.

4. Place the cut end of the flowering stem into the container with water and preservative. Put the shears into the water and cut the stem at a 45-degree angle at the desired length. Cutting the stem underwater keeps unwanted air from entering it.

5. Place the Venus fly trap flower in a cool location, and check the water level daily.

Tips & Warnings

• Remove the stalk as soon as it begins to grow if you don't intend to let the plant flower, and remove any additional stems as they appear. If a stem grows enough that a bud begins to form, you may as well leave it to flower, according to Barry Rice of the Carnivorous Plant Society.

• If you plan to keep your Venus fly trap flower, cut it in the morning when the flower's water content is highest.

• Allowing your Venus fly trap to flower will be extremely harmful to its well-being, unless you are a skilled grower. At best, growth will be sluggish for the next year, and at worst, the fly trap will die.

References

• The Carnivorous Plant Society: The Carnivorous Plant FAQ -- Should I Let My Venus Flytrap Flower?
• University of Minnesota Extension: Keeping Cut Flowers and Flowering Plants
• Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension Service: The Care and Handling of Cut Flowers
• North Carolina State University Extension: Dionaea muscipula