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Description

Easily the most iconic variety from the world of insect eating plants. Jawed traps spring shut when triggered by insects and begin the process of digesting the victim for valuable nutrients.

The Venus flytrap attracts insects by releasing a scent that mimics fruits and flowers. The lobes of each trap secrete a sweet mucous, which act as an attractant along with red colouring which intensifies under the bright summer sun, fooling the insect into thinking it is a flower.

The traps of this fascinating plant are shaped from the ends of the leaves, with specially adapted hair-like sensors which cause the trap to be triggered when touched two or three times in quick succession. This prevents accidental triggering by rain or debris falling in and the traps are also clever enough not to close on tiny insects which would waste valuable energy for very little return. Once the jaws have closed, there is no escape.

The struggling insect stimulates the trap to close further, immobilising it. Digestive acids are then produced by the leaf which kill, then dissolve the body and absorb the valuable nutrients.

Once closed, traps take 5 to 12 days to reopen after the prey has been digested and will only work a couple of times before they become unusable - so do not be tempted to closed them yourself as this will weaken the plant.

Supplied as an established plant in a 12cm pot, much bigger than plants offered for sale elsewhere and with more than one crown, ready to give you an instant pest clearing service.

Top Tips

Secret of success - always rainwater, never tap water, allow a period of winter rest

Care Information

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 (�in -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

Delivery Information

Our experienced team at the nursery will always carefully package and send your plants nursery fresh in the perfect condition to thrive once you receive and plant them. Although most plants are extremely tough and will not be affected by all but the most extreme of weather conditions, we always avoid dispatching the most perishable plants if extreme frosts or heat is forecast. We also avoid dispatching orders over Bank Holiday weekends.

Please allow us 3-5 working days to dispatch your order. If you have ordered a 'pre-order' item, these will be sent out as soon as possible after the quoted dispatch date and we generally ship your entire order with any pre-ordered items. Once your order has been dispatched, we will send you an email with details on how you can track it.

We send most of our orders via a fully tracked courier service with Yodel. We will send you a tracking link as soon as your order has been dispatched. To avoid perishable items being stuck at depots and deteriorating, we will not require a signature on delivery, and we ask out couriers to leave your item in a safe place ad your delivery address.

*Please note, once your item has been delivered, we cannot be held responsible for loss or theft from your delivery address. If you have delivery instruction and require our courier to leave your item in a specific place, please let us know - there is an option to leave a message for the courier at the checkout.

For smaller and single-item orders, we may send these via the post with Royal Mail - Tracking will not be available for orders sent via this method.

**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.

For all orders, a small delivery fee of £4.99 will be charged or spend over £49.99 for FREE Delivery!

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