Re: Venus Fly Trap Dying ?

Robert Allen (Robert.Allen@Eng.Sun.COM)
Thu, 15 Aug 1996 10:43:06 -0700

>>------------------------------
>>
>>Topic No. 10
>>
>>Date: Wed, 14 Aug 1996 22:59:32 +0100
>>From: Andrew Hancock <Andy@spuddy.mew.co.uk>
>>To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com
>>Subject: Venus Fly Trap Dying ?
>>Message-ID: <2.2.32.19960814215932.00916e50@spuddy.mew.co.uk>
>>
>>I have a Venus Fly trap which has been growing very well for months
>>on a sunny windowsil, producing new traps weekly. I've come
>>back from holiday and noticed that it has flowered and no more traps
>>have been produced and the last trap produced has started to go black
>>maybe it's dying ?
>>
>>Has the flowering weakened it ?

Yes it has. Although you'll see beautiful photos
of flowering carpets of Dionea in books, individual
plants can actually flower-away to nothing. However
they may also just go dormant after the exertion, Particularly
as it gets later in the season as we are, and particularly
if you're in an area that's getting colder and having shorter
days. As long as the underground rhizome (?) stays firm
and white your plant is still alive. Take the plants
lead. If it's starting to die back I'd probably cut back
on water a bit and see what it does. If it's just going
dormant, let it. If it dies there's nothing you can do,
but forcing a weakened plant out of dormancy is a good
way to lose it. We have to be patient with nature :-).

Robert