What is the Venus flytrap for kids?
The Venus’s-flytrap is a plant that traps and eats insects. It belongs to a group of carnivorous, or meat-eating, plants. This group also includes sundews and pitcher plants. The scientific name of the Venus’s-flytrap is Dionaea muscipula.
Are Venus fly traps poisonous to children?
Venus flytraps are not poisonous plants. Due to their small trap size (less than 1.5 inches), Venus flytraps are harmless to humans, dogs, and cats. It is safe to grow Venus flytrap at home.
What is special about Flytrap plant?
The Venus flytrap is a flowering plant best known for its carnivorous eating habits. The “trap” is made of two hinged lobes at the end of each leaf. On the inner surfaces of the lobes are hair-like projections called trichomes that cause the lobes to snap shut when prey comes in contact with them.
What is the best plant for catching flies?
Venus fly trap
Perhaps the most famous of all carnivorous plants, the iconic Venus fly trap uses sweet-smelling sap to lure unsuspecting insects into its mouth. Despite its fame, a Venus Fly trap can only catch 3-4 bugs before closing forever, making them less effective than other plants.
Where does the Venus flytrap live for kids?
The Venus flytrap grows on the East Coast of the USA in the subtropical wetlands of North and South Carolina.
How does a Venus flytrap catch its prey for kids?
The Venus flytrap attracts its prey with a pleasing fruity scent. When an insect lands on a leaf, it stimulates the highly sensitive trigger hairs that line the leaf. When the pressure becomes strong enough to bend those hairs, the plant will snap its leaves shut and trap the insect inside.
Can Venus flytraps harm humans?
Venus flytraps are fascinating carnivorous plants. Their leaves have evolved to look like jawlike structures that trap prey. Yet, Venus flytrap cannot hurt humans. You won’t lose a finger or even get a scratch if a trap closes on your pinky.
Why are Venus flytraps illegal?
The Venus flytrap is endemic to North and South Carolina, but it has been introduced to a few other states. The North Carolina Plant Conservation Program lists the Venus flytrap as a species of Special Concern-Vulnerable in North Carolina, and poaching of this plant became a felony in 2014.
What plant eats the most flies?
Venus Flytrap
Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) The Venus flytrap is one of the most well-known carnivorous plants and it eats mostly insects and arachnids.
Which carnivorous plant is the easiest to grow?
For first-time growers, I recommend the following easy-to-grow species: Drosera capensis, the Cape sundew: one of the prettiest and most entertaining sundews, this species is also one of the most adaptable. A great fly catcher and a perfect plant for new growers.
Where can you buy a Venus flytrap plant?
Plants can also be purchased online and come in a variety of cultivars. Generally, venus fly trap plants are not expensive, ranging from $5 to $15. Look for venus fly traps at local garden supply centers, in department stores and home improvement stores in the specialty plants section.
What soil is best for Venus fly traps?
A venus fly trap is best planted in soil that is lacking in nutrients or nutrient-poor soil. Regular potting soil and fertilizers can burn the roots of the plant and are not recommended. The scientific name for the venus fly trap is Dionaea. The best choice in nutrient-poor soil is long fiber sphagnum moss or non-enriched peat moss.
How to grow Venus flytrap?
Soil Requirement. Regular potting soil,or compost,is not suitable for your Venus flytrap.
How do you grow a Venus Fly Trap?
How to Grow Venus Fly Traps Indoors. Plant the Venus flytrap in equal parts of peat moss and horticultural sand. Place your Venus flytrap in an area where it will receive at least 6 hours of direct sun per day. Water with distilled or rainwater only. Place a saucer under the pot and allow 1 inch of water to remain in the saucer at all times.