Dionée flycatcher in pot

Credit: Alx Chief

Dionée fly trap

Credit: Björn S

Cultivar of Dionaea muscipula

Credit: Carnivorasland

Dionaea muscipula flowers

Credit: Michael MK Khor

Dionaea muscipula, the most famous of carnivorous plants

It's impossible not to think of the Piranha plant trying to devour Mario, or Audrey II, the bloodthirsty creature from The Little Shop of Horrors, when you spot a Dionaea muscipula! With its jaw-shaped traps, this carnivore of the Droseraceae family has become a pop culture monument.

How to recognize Dionaea muscipula, the fly-catching dionaea?

Dionaea muscipula is a perennial, rhizomatous carnivorous plant. It grows up to 30 centimetres high and 20 to 30 centimetres wide.

Its leaves grow in rosettes. During the growing season, they are erect. In winter, during the dormant phase, they lie flat.

The leaf blade is in two parts. The lower part is spatulate and about ten centimetres long. The upper part forms the trap. It consists of two lobes, connected by a thick rib. The edges are hemmed with teeth. When the jaw closes, they prevent the prey from escaping. In the botanical variety, the foliage is yellow-green, with hints of red. However, there are also cultivars that are completely green Dionée attrape-mouche 'All Green) or crimson Dionée attrape-mouche 'Red Dragon).

Dionée attrape-mouche flowers in spring. White cymes of flowers bloom at the top of a flowering spike over 20 centimetres long.

Dionaea muscipula is harmless to humans and pets. But it is a fragile plant. Its traps die after being activated two or three times. Be careful not to set them off for no reason!

Our maintenance tips

Dionaea muscipula is not a tropical plant. In its natural habitat, it can withstand hot summers and sub-zero winters. It can be grown outdoors, even at our latitudes. If it freezes in your region, you'll still need to protect your specimen from the cold.

Watering

Water your plant generously during the growing season.

Dionaea muscipula like to have their feet in water. You need to water them by capillary action at all times.

Get a planter or an unperforated container larger than your plant's pot. Place your Dionée attrape-mouche in its pot.

Pour two or three centimetres of rain, demineralized or osmosis water into the larger container. Never use tap or mineral water. You'll kill your plant.

Don't let the largest container run dry. Add water when the level drops.

Reduce watering during dormancy.

The soil must always be kept moist. Water it from above before it dries out.

You can use rainwater. If you don't have any, you can use osmosis water or demineralized water. Never use tap or mineral water. They contain mineral salts that are fatal to your Dionée attrape-mouche.

After watering, remove any stagnant water from the saucer.

Repotting

In spring, transfer your Dionaea muscipula to a larger pot, so that it can continue to grow.

Obtain a pierced plastic pot. Choose a light-colored pot to prevent the roots from getting too hot in summer.

Fill your container with a special potting soil for carnivorous plants. You can also make your own growing medium by mixing two-thirds blond peat, one-third draining material (river sand, perlite or vermiculite) and a little sphagnum moss. Moisten the substrate with rainwater and tamp lightly.

Plant your Dionée attrape-mouche. Place the pot on a dish filled with rainwater.

Fertilization

Fertilizer is useless. Your Dionaea muscipula feeds on the insects that fall into its traps.

Prune

Over time, the traps blacken and die. You can remove them with your hands or with clean, sharp scissors.

After flowering, cut off wilted flowering stems at the base. You can do this by hand or with a clean, sharp tool such as secateurs or scissors.

Cutting

Cutting is carried out during the strong growth phase, generally in spring and early summer.

For annual repotting, divide your mother plant. Cut off a healthy part with at least one leaf and roots. Use a clean, sharp tool to facilitate healing and prevent disease.

Prepare a pierced plastic pot. Obtain potting soil for carnivorous plants or mix blond peat (2/3) and perlite (1/3). Fill your pot with the substrate, pack lightly and spray the surface with rainwater.

Make a pilot hole with a pick or pen, then plant your cutting, roots down.

Diseases / Threats

Information

Family	Droseraceae - Droseraceae
Type	Dionée - Dionaea
Species	Dionée attrape-mouche - Dionaea muscipula
Lifecycle	Perennial
Foliage	Evergreen
Exposure	Sun
Substrats	Humus soil Sandy soil Peat soil
Planting method	In pots
Categories	Rhizome Herbaceous
Tags	Beginner Small pot
Origin	North America
Hardiness (USDA)	10b
Leaf color
Flower color