Using pure water is essential to the health of a Venus Fly Trap. In general, tap water is not a good idea. The dissolved solids that are in tap water - namely sodium, calcium, alkaline salts, sulfur, chlorine and magnesium - are detrimental to the health of your Dionaea. Although it may not be immediately apparent with a few waterings, over time, the dissolved solids will begin to build up in the soil and can lead to a sickly looking plant and eventually death of the plant.

Venus Fly Traps and all other carnivorous plants should only be watered with distilled water, rain water, reverse osmosis water (from an RO system) or water that has been measured with a TDS (total dissolved solids) meter and shows a TDS measurement of less than 50 ppm (parts per million). It is generally well established that water with a TDS measurement of 50 ppm or less is suitable for using on Dionaea muscipula. I have also read that anything less than 100 ppm will work, but if you do use water with this high of a TDS measurement, I would recommend repotting your plants a minimum of every year.

During their active growing season, Venus Fly Traps should be in standing water. It is acceptable to allow the soil to get just moist or damp, but it should never be let to dry out completely. During their dormancy it is better to keep the soil just damp and not let the plant sit in water as it did during the growing season

Perhaps the best method to keep your Venus Fly Trap moist is the tray method. Below you will see a photos of the tray method which involves setting a pot with drainage holes in the bottom of it in a tray of distilled or other pure water.

Most media (soil) that Venus Fly Traps are potted in is very good at retaining water. It is best to always bottom water your Venus Fly Trap. The media will soak up the water, almost like a sponge, and keep the roots of the plant moist.

Comments (44)

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TERRERIUM - do I need to water it at all?
written by Alan King, July 31, 2008

Hi There from the UK

If I have flytraps in a terrarium - is the natural condensation which forms enough to keep the plants healthy or should I water as well?

Any tips would be appreciated

very helpful site by the way

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Re: TERRARIUM - do I need to water it at all?
written by Matt, August 01, 2008

You will definitely still have to water them. Do you have any particular reason for growing them in a terrarium? Venus Fly Traps don't usually make very good terrarium pets. It's possible to grow them in terrariums, but they are healthier and more robust if they are grown outside.

If you have any more questions, you should join the forum and ask them there. I hope to hear more about your growing experiences on the forum. Best of luck with your flytraps!

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Chlorine water
written by Dom, August 08, 2008

I watered my first trap with chlorine water for a week or two but when i got two new flytraps i started watering with rain water i collected. ive been doing this for almost a week. I noticed the first trap i got was starting to get little wrinkles and now one part of it has a very subtle tinge of light brown i noticed. is this the water? how do i correct this?

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Re: Chlorine Water
written by Matt, August 08, 2008

It could be the water. It depends on what method you are using to collect it. If you are sure that it is clean, then it could be something else. You might want to try repotting into new, clean media and water with distilled water only for a month or so to see if the plants recover.

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watering help
written by Terrence, September 03, 2008

is arrowhead water safe enough for the plant

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Re: watering help
written by Matt, September 04, 2008

Arrowhead water will likely not be safe. You need to make sure you use distilled water. Feel free to ask questions like this in the forum!

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A Venus Fly Trap Owner
written by Karen Hobbs, December 09, 2008

Great site, very helpful. I'm a first time owner of my Venus fly trap, and I can't thank you enough for all the info. Look forward to keeping you updated on the progress.

Best regards,

Karen
(South Africa)

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Re: A venus Fly Trap Owner
written by Matt, December 10, 2008

Karen,

I'm glad to hear that you found the website helpful. I'd love to hear updates on your progress. Did you join the community yet? If not, you should soon so that you can post on the forum and upload photos. There are tons of people hear that would love to hear about your plants.

Matt

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Well water?
written by Tom, January 08, 2009

Would well water be okay for a venus flytrap? My town has no public water source whatsoever.

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Re: Well water?
written by Matt, January 08, 2009

Unfortunately no Tom, well water isn't ok for venus fly traps. Any type of ground water will usually have a lot of dissolved solids in it, which can accumulate in the media and poison your plant. You should collect rain water, melt snow or buy distilled water for your plant.

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Snow!
written by Nate, February 06, 2009

In the winter, is it ok if I collect unstepped on snow, then boil it and give it to my flytrap?

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Re: Snow!
written by Matt, February 06, 2009

Yep, clean snow will work great for your flytrap!

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...
written by teen, February 09, 2009

woah, thak god i got to this info when i did!
~teen

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Just got my seeds!
written by Scott, February 12, 2009

Hi there,

Just got my seeds, i've put the pot of soil (correct soil i was given with the seeds) in a tray of rain water untill the top soil is wet / damp, now it's time to put the seeds in!

Questions:

1) Do I sprinkle the seeds on the top or make a little hole and plant them then cover it over?

2) How oftern do you water them?

Many thanks!

Scott

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Re: Just got my seeds!
written by Matt, February 12, 2009

Scott,

You'll find tons of information on this in the forum, but basically you just sprinkle the seeds on top of the peat moss and keep them very moist until they germinate then you put them in a sunny windowsill to continue growing.

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No germination visable
written by Dan, February 28, 2009

I bought a Venus Fly Trap seed kit sometime in January and it told me to prepare the seeds by imitating a dormancy period first. So as it said, I put the seeds in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for 3 weeks and then planted them in a pot with a sand/acidic soil mixture. It's completely damp and sealed inside a plastic bag. The next step was to put it in direct sunlight. I've tried setting it under a south facing window and then under a bright fluorescent plant light. I have yet to see any growth for about a month.

Am I doing anything wrong? Or does it just take a little longer?

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Re: No germination visible
written by Matt, February 28, 2009

The comment sections on the pages are really for comments, not questions. For questions, you'll get better responses if you ask them in the forum. Click on the "Forums" link across the top of the page or on the left navigation menu to get into the forums.

In any case, your seeds might need longer to germinate, or they might never germinate. Seed kits aren't very good to try for a first timer. The seeds have usually set on the shelf for too long and aren't viable any longer.

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How To Water My Plants?
written by Datter, March 08, 2009

Despite the description you gave, I am still abit confused. To prevent stagnation, can I choose not to place my flytrap on a bowl with water on it and just use a spray bottle to spray some water at the plant? Secondly, can I use boiled tap water to water my plants?
Many Thanks!
Datter

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Re: How To Water My Plants?
written by Matt, March 09, 2009

Questions are actually meant for the forum. You can join the forum by clicking on the Forum link at the top or right side of any page.

Quick answers to your questions:
1) Some people top water their plants, but usually misting doesn't do much. Bottom watering is the preferred method.
2) No, boiled tap water is actually worse for your plants than regular tap water. Boiling the water increases the amount of dissolved solids by making the clean water evaporate.

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...
written by Sagal, April 06, 2009

I have noticed that alot of people's pictures are using really deap pots, since the roots dont go that deep is it ok to use shallower pots or would that be bad?

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Re: ...
written by Matt, April 06, 2009

Yes, you can use shallower pots.

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water now
written by lap, April 11, 2009

wich one is more haelthyer to use hot or cold water on the venus-flytrap.

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Water problems
written by Aaron, April 20, 2009

Is it safe to use fridge water for my Venus fly trap?

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Re: Water problems
written by Matt, April 20, 2009

Yes, if you are talking about using the water from the freezer, that should be fine to use.

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Pur water
written by Vince, April 20, 2009

I currently just got a venus fly trap. I currently put in a cap's measurement (the cap from the arrowhead bottle) of arrowhead before reading the information on the website. Um will it impact that great on the venus flytrap? And I currently use this "PUR" water filtration pitcher. Is that safe enough water for my venus flytrap?

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Re: Pur Water
written by Matt, April 20, 2009

Filtered water usually won't do. You should try to use distilled water, rain water or reverse osmosis water.

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Standing Water
written by Ian, April 23, 2009

Really, just don't use tap water. Distilled, Rain, or RO water only-at least untill you gain experience :-).

Standing water can be detrimental to the Venus Flytrap. They are prone to rot (as [Matt] you probably know). It is best to let the water disapear for a little bit before adding water to the tray, as long as they don't dry out. Dry kills. Too much water kills. Overwatering often leads to sudden death; therefore it is best to keep the soil moist, but never wet. No water should be vissible if you happen to press on the soil.

Larger pots allow for more mistakes, and beginners make mistakes, so I recommend a 4-6 inch pot. The six inchers can accomodate even the most mature flytraps.

Great Job Matt,

and happy growing for the rest of you.

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venus fly traps,
written by kaylee, April 29, 2009

hi!my mom just recently bought me a venus fly trap,it has caought to flys already,but incase it can't is there any other food we could feed it?I heard you could give it hamburger meat but i am unsure,also whe watering the plant,can you use spring water?Please let me know,thanks.

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...
written by jordan, April 29, 2009

Never feed it hamburger meat and give it rain water thats the best becuase even bottled water has clorine becuase everything we drink has clorine and it will catch it's own food and they usally eat 2 bugs a month and they grow good

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to many bugs
written by louis, May 28, 2009

what happens if i feed my fly trap to many bugs

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What happens if..
written by Jackie, June 12, 2009

my Venus Flytrap doesnt eat any bugs? I live in an appartment and will likely keep it inside. Because it's summer time I of course keep my door and windows wide open, but I usually do not see any flies or bugs in my appartment - will it die without food? Or is it a good idea to buy bugs to feed it?

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Re: What happens if...
written by Matt, June 12, 2009

Jackie,

Questions should be asked in the forum. This section is for comments on the articles.

Quick answer - Your venus flytrap will be fine if it never eats a bug in its entire life.

Matt

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outside
written by omar , July 12, 2009

i am growing a venus flytrap and i know it needs to be kept humid but i live in california and its very hot and dry,u said it should be best to keep it outside what do i do?

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...
written by Johnny, July 15, 2009

I have recently started growing fly traps from seed and have been using sterilized water to water them! Is this ok or does sterilized water still contain impurities? Thanks!

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...
written by Jeremy, July 20, 2009

can u use bottled water

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...
written by Sarah, August 01, 2009

can u water your plant by spraying it with bottles like hair spritzer bottles, but with tap water in them? is that safe for the plant?

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Water quesion
written by manzano167, August 14, 2009

can i put ice water from tap water to water my venus fly trap seeds?

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venus fly trap
written by yo, September 01, 2009

can someone give me some tips on how to grow a venus flytrap in a tropical area? it is very humid and its summer all year round. i am a beginner and dont know anyhting about them.

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Am I allowed to......
written by Jojo, November 24, 2009

omg I'm a first timer at this and I'm looking for a site with information. Question: Is it ok for me to put my fly trap under a lamp next to a window? Sincerely the one who's a first timer at this and really needs information about Venus fly traps. Jojo a 10 year old..

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water
written by Akira, December 21, 2009

hi there

i have just brought pure dew water from the super market. it says they use a combination of steam distilling, RO, filtration and ozonation. its mineral free and has no solids. is that water ok for my venus fly traps?

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Tap water
written by Earl, January 23, 2010

If you let the tap water sit for a day or so dos that work?

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Thanks
written by Oddball, February 09, 2010

This site is great.I'm hopeing to get a Venus Fly Trap sometime in August. You have helped me and other beginner Fly Trap owners how to care for our plants keep up the good work And Oddball isn't my real name it's actully my cats

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I love my fly trap!
written by Janene Price, February 17, 2010

I'm so scared my fly trap (or Serena as I have called it) is dying! I am from New Zealand and it's SO hard to find them to buy! It sort of looks like it's going through the dying process can anyone give me tips on how to bring my babe back to life? I have re potted it but I think that made it worse!

It's great to look at everyone's feedback + comments
Janene xx

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Food
written by raymond hughes, March 08, 2010

Im considering buying a venus fly trap but i wanna know what type of bugs would be acceptable to give it and if i cooked my water on the stove to clean it then cooled it would it be helpfull to water it with that please email me

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