USDA Prohibits Shipping Live Plants to: AZ, CA. Carnivorous Plant Care Venus fly traps like very humid and swamp-like conditions. Good choices include an open top terrarium or use the tray method.The "tray method" is simply a method wherein you place pots in a tray that has standing water in it. They also like acidic soil, so it's best to use a mixture that includes sand and sphagnum moss. Make sure to place your Venus fly trap in an area that is bright, but the plant will likely do best if it is kept out of direct sunlight. Venus Flytraps should be monitored, especially during hot and dry weather, to ensure that their growing medium does not dry out completely. The growing medium ideally should be just moist, not soggy or waterlogged. Therefore the tray method is best used while the plants are in direct sunlight in hot weather, or when one goes on vacation, to ensure that the medium does not dry out. However, because the plants are sensitive to chemicals, be sure to water them only with distilled water or rain water. If you are going to use tap water, allow it to sit in an open container for a day or two. In the winter months, Venus fly traps go dormant for about three months. When this happens, the plant should be stored in an area where the temperature is between 45 degrees and 50 degrees F. Venus fly traps only need to eat two or three times a month, and unnecessarily tripping the plant's food trap, either with food or your finger or a stick, can cause the plant to die because it drains its energy and makes its trigger hairs less sensitive. Common insects to feed Venus fly traps include flies or crickets. Insects can be alive or dead, but make sure not to give the plants insects that were killed by pesticides or other chemicals. Never feed your carnivorous plant raw meat.
The USDA Hardiness Zone Map divides North America into 11 separate zones; each zone is 10°F warmer (or colder) in an average winter than the adjacent zone. To find your USDA Hardiness Zone, use the map above or enter your zip code here: USDA Hardiness Zone Finder.