Venus Fly Trap

How to grow the Venus Fly Trap

• A native of USA swamps, the Venus Fly Trap - Dionaea Muscipula - will grow perfectly happily on a windowsill or frost-free greenhouse, where plants need only to be kept in a tray of rainwater or distilled water 1-2cm (½in -1in).
•  Able to cope with temperatures down to 0°C and easily overwintered in a cold greenhouse or porch, the leaves emerge each spring from an underground bulb and form a rosette of 4-7 traps.

Spring/Summer care:

• Plant should be watered from below during the growing season. The easiest way to do this is to permanently stand the pot in a saucer that is filled with rainwater to 2.5cm (1in) deep.
• Don't be tempted to feed plants yourself, they'll catch all that they need themselves. If you must, just leave them outside for a few days in the summer to 'catch up'.
• The Venus Flytrap may flower, but it is best to cut these off as this will weaken the plant and result in fewer, smaller traps.
• Never apply fertiliser to the plants.

Autumn/Winter care:

• From September, you will notice some of the leaves begin to die off, and this is perfectly normal and nothing to worry about as the plant enters its winter dormancy.
• Watering at this time can be reduced so that plants are kept just damp - all you need to do is let the water tray empty before filling it up again, to about 1cm deep.
• Any dead foliage can be cut off.
• Plants need a cold winter rest, so if you are growing your plant indoors, move it to a cooler position such as an unheated greenhouse, porch or unused and unheated room.
• Plants are hardy down to 0°C, then towards the end of February, they will start to come back into growth, and they can be put back on a sunny windowsill and stood back into a tray of rainwater.
• Secret of success - always rainwater, never tap water, allow a period of winter rest

Please allow us 3-5 working days to dispatch your order. Pre-ordered items will be sent as soon as possible after the date quoted and we'll generally ship your entire order with your pre-ordered items. When your order is dispatched, we'll send you another email with details of how to track it.

Most orders are sent on a fully-tracked courier service with Yodel. To avoid perishable items being stuck at depots and deteriorating, no signature is required, and our courier is asked to leave your order in a safe place on your property.

We'll send a tracking link when we dispatch your order, so you know when its due to arrive. Please note, once delivered we cannot be held responsible for loss or theft from your property. If you have any specific delivery instructions, please let us know - there's an option to enter a short message for the courier at the checkout.

Smaller, lighter, single-item orders may be sent through the post with Royal Mail - in which case no tracking is available.

Our experienced nursery team will always send your plants nursery fresh in the perfect condition to thrive when you plant them, so although most plants are very tough and will not be affected by all but the most extreme frosts or heatwaves, we avoid dispatching the most perishable plants if extreme weather is forecast, or over Bank Holiday weekends.

Please note, we cannot guarantee delivery on a certain day or time. Delivery to outlying postcode areas may take 1-2 days longer, dependent on your location.