Description
The Venus flytrap is undoubtedly the world's most famous carnivorous plant. Its modified leaves form bilobed traps with marginal teeth that close in less than 100 milliseconds when an insect stimulates its sensitive hairs twice. This extraordinary adaptation makes it one of the most fascinating plants in nature. It is endemic to a small humid area of the Carolinas, where it grows in acidic, nutrient-poor soils.
Specific care
It needs full sun for the traps to develop the reddish interior color that will attract insects. Water only with distilled or rainwater using the tray method (1-2 cm of water under the pot). In autumn-winter, reduce watering and provide temperatures of 2-10°C for at least 3 months of dormancy. Do not force the traps open: each can only close 3-5 times before being exhausted.
The Dionaea trap closes in 100 milliseconds, making it one of the fastest known plant movements. It requires two stimulations separated by less than 20 seconds to avoid false alarms from raindrops.
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