# Venus Flytrap (*Dionaea muscipula*) The Venus Flytrap is a fascinating plant that catches insects for its meals. It has special leaves that snap shut when bugs land on them. This plant is like a sneaky hunter in the garden! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 4 - **Habitat:** Wetlands - **Also known as:** Flytrap ![Venus Flytrap](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Venus_Flytrap_Dionaea_muscipula_%2826455092815%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: Len Worthington, CC BY-SA 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Venus_Flytrap_Dionaea_muscipula_%2826455092815%29.jpg) ## Appearance The Venus Flytrap has a rosette of small, flat leaves ending in iconic, hinged lobes that form a trap. Each trap is fringed with stiff, bristle-like 'teeth' and can be vibrant green on the outside, often with striking crimson or reddish interiors. Three to six tiny trigger hairs are visible on the inner surface of each lobe, making it visually distinct from non-carnivorous plants. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Caryophyllales - **Family:** Droseraceae - **Genus:** Dionaea ## Interesting facts - It must count at least two touches on its triggers before snapping shut to save energy! - Its snapping traps can close in less than a second, faster than your eye can blink! - The bright red color inside its trap acts like a delicious sign for unsuspecting insects! - These plants are native to a tiny wetland area in North and South Carolina only! ## Special abilities - **Lightning Snapper:** Venus Flytrap can quickly snap its specialized leaves shut in under a second to capture unsuspecting insects. - **Clever Counter:** Venus Flytrap has trigger hairs that count touches, ensuring the trap only closes for live prey and saves energy. - **Nutrient Absorber:** Venus Flytrap can produce digestive enzymes that break down captured insects, absorbing essential nutrients from them. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 5-30 cm - **Spread:** 10-20 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** Silky Ant (*Formica pallidefulva*) — Common prey item for Venus Flytraps - **Pollinates:** [Margined Calligrapher](https://www.snappit.app/explore/margined-calligrapher) (*Toxomerus marginatus*) — A type of hoverfly that pollinates the plant's flowers - **Depends on:** Red Bog Sphagnum Moss (*Sphagnum capillifolium*) — Thrives in the acidic, nutrient-poor conditions created by the moss ## Traits - [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Carnivorous Plant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous-plant): Carnivorous plants are predatory flowering plants that derive some or most of their nutrients from trapping and consuming animals or protozoans. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. ## Collections - [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fungi) - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Venus Flytraps are safe to touch, but don't try to make them close their traps with your fingers. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Venus Flytrap? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Venus Flytrap? 5-30 cm ### How wide does Venus Flytrap spread? 10-20 cm ### How big are the flowers on Venus Flytrap? 0.5-1 cm ### When does Venus Flytrap bloom? Spring ### Is Venus Flytrap edible? No ### Is Venus Flytrap toxic? None ### What is Venus Flytrap's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Dead Lakes Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/dead-lakes-park) — Florida, US · Park - [Wilhelma Zoologisch-Botanischer Garten Stuttgart](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/wilhelma-stuttgart) — Baden-Württemberg, DE · Zoo - [Palmengarten Frankfurt](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/palmengarten-frankfurt) — Hessen, DE · Park - [Botanischer Garten und Arboretum (Tübingen)](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/botanical-garden-arboretum-tubingen) — Baden-Württemberg, DE · Park - [Castilla-La Mancha Botanical Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/castilla-la-mancha-botanical-garden) — Castilla-La Mancha, ES · Park - [Osaka Garden of Floral Culture](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/osaka-garden-of-floral-culture) — Kansai, JP · Park [View all places to see Venus Flytrap](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/venus-flytrap) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Venus Flytrap: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/venus-flytrap)