👉(1) Scientific name: Dionaea muscipula.
👉(2) Alias: Bug catcher.
👉(3) Botanical classification: thatch family, flycatcher genus.
👉(4) Native range: mossy swamps under pine forests in the southeastern United States.
👉(5) Morphological features: perennial insectivorous herb. Plants are dwarf, usually under 10 cm, flowers up to about 30 cm, leaves basal, rosulate. The lower part of the leaf is a winged stalk, the upper part into two petals, the angle of expansion is slightly less than 90 degrees, the midvein of the leaf blade is thicker, the surface is covered with red digestive dots, and there are 3 sensitive long glandular hairs. The surface of the leaf blade is reddish brown with a green margin. When an insect touches it, the leaf surface can quickly close and secrete digestive fluid to digest it.
Flytrap is a charismatic insectivorous plant, the top of the leaf has a long insect trap, shaped like an open bloody mouth, when a small insect intrudes, it can be very fast to clip it, and slowly digested and absorbed, potted plants can be applied to sunny window sills and balconies ornamental, known as nature's carnivorous plants.
🗓️ care tips
☀️ light: light-loving, avoid strong light exposure; spring, fall and winter can let it all day light, summer need appropriate shade, if the environment is dark, you can use fill light about 4 hours a day irradiation
🌡️ temperature: like warm, not cold, growth temperature 15-30 ℃, more than 35 ℃ need to strengthen ventilation, spray water fog cooling and moisturizing, overwintering temperature of 5 ℃ or more!
💦 watering: like moist, keep the potting soil moist during the growth period is appropriate, avoid stagnant water; watering is recommended to use pure water, filtered water or rain and other soft water, tap water needs to be dried and then used!
🌱 soil: like loose, well-drained, slightly acidic soil
✂️ Pruning: cut off the dead traps; the plant will bloom in the summer and the flowers will weaken the plant, so it is recommended to cut them off
🧴 fertilization: flytrap will draw nutrients from the insects it feeds on, so there is no need to fertilize, there are no small insects indoors in the summer, you can put it outside for a few days to allow it to feed on its prey, if you need to fertilize don't fertilize the roots, instead choose a foliar fertilizer, and also need to pay attention to the concentration, every two weeks spraying once can be done
⚠ Notes
✅ Watering tips: you can use a shallow dish to soak - put the pot into a shallow dish filled with water and soak it for 30 minutes, let the water slowly seep through the holes in the bottom of the pot, and then pour out the excess water in the dish afterward
❎ Red leaves turning green and soft: it could be improper watering or not enough humidity
❤️ rescue: keep the potting soil moist during the growing period is appropriate, avoid stagnant water, high temperatures need to give the leaves spray to increase humidity
❎ blackened insect traps: in the fall and winter, the plant will go dormant and the insect traps will die.
❤️ rescue: this is a normal phenomenon, after the spring when the plant grows back will grow new traps
❎ Yellowing and browning of insect traps: It is possible that the plant has been moved suddenly from a dark place to a place with very strong light.
❤️ rescue: let the plant slowly adapt to the new environment, it will recover in about a week's time
❎ Insect traps that don't close: This may be caused by you trying to close them with your fingers too often.
❤️Remedy: Each trap will only close four or five times in its lifetime, so try not to “tease” it!
