FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hello!

I've just got a quick question. My flytraps are doing quite well, however I've noticed that the "teeth" on most of the traps are curling out, like eyelashes. I wonder if this is an indication of any problems? I notice that most other flytraps are not like this.

Thanks for your time!

How old are the traps that are doing this? Did they get pretty dry before this? Just explain your growing conditions and see if we can figure it out. I personally haven't had that happen to my VFTs.

That is a pretty cool deformed trap at the bottom of the photo.

Sometimes if the plant gets really hot the tips can burn and curl back like that. It can also be caused by dehydration, although I don't think that's the case.

Did the trap just form with those or did it develop later on?

cjpflaumer wrote:How old are the traps that are doing this? Did they get pretty dry before this? Just explain your growing conditions and see if we can figure it out. I personally haven't had that happen to my VFTs.

The traps begin doing this when they are fully formed. To the left in that photo you can see a fairly new trap that hasn't opened yet, and the teeth are straight. When the trap opens is when the curling begins.

Currently I am in Texas near Houston, so with daytime highs in the high 90s maybe heat is a cause. Sometimes I'm at work and the plants are in full sun all day, but I've not seen much burning or wilting so thought they'd be ok.

It's also extremely humid here. Other than this curling the plants seem very happy. I take care to keep them moist, not soaked. The soil was not dried out, but perhaps the leaves and traps are? The traps seem to be functioning fine...maybe I shouldn't worry?

Smooter80 wrote:That is a pretty cool deformed trap at the bottom of the photo.

Totally! A two-headed mutant! It even closes (though it can't close all the way to digest unfortunately).

pieguy452 wrote:Sometimes if the plant gets really hot the tips can burn and curl back like that. It can also be caused by dehydration, although I don't think that's the case.

Did the trap just form with those or did it develop later on?

Thank you! I'm in Houston and the daytime high is often 98F. I doubt they're dehydrated, I keep them quite well watered and haven't seen any other signs of distress.

The curling develops when a new trap opens. I thought at first maybe it was only the traps that had caught bugs, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

Jhereg wrote:

pieguy452 wrote:Sometimes if the plant gets really hot the tips can burn and curl back like that. It can also be caused by dehydration, although I don't think that's the case.

Did the trap just form with those or did it develop later on?

Thank you! I'm in Houston and the daytime high is often 98F. I doubt they're dehydrated, I keep them quite well watered and haven't seen any other signs of distress.

The curling develops when a new trap opens. I thought at first maybe it was only the traps that had caught bugs, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

That is odd for 98 degrees. All of my plants get over 100 for days on end with low humidity and they are okay. This makes me wonder if it's still acclimation to being outdoors? Maybe just slight sunburn? I can't remember if you said it was outdoors already or not I'll go reread. I don't think it's the 98 degree heat though I know they can take more than that.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

Could it possibly be just a mutation?

cjpflaumer wrote: That is odd for 98 degrees. All of my plants get over 100 for days on end with low humidity and they are okay. This makes me wonder if it's still acclimation to being outdoors? Maybe just slight sunburn? I can't remember if you said it was outdoors already or not I'll go reread. I don't think it's the 98 degree heat though I know they can take more than that.

I agree with you. I suppose it could still be acclimating. I travel for a living and so the plants must spend 2-3 days a week in a window sill as we move from place to place. So although they get sun in the window the temperature and humidity are quite different than they would be outdoors. So maybe that's part of it.

The plant seems to get just minimal burning once in a while. Nothing drastic, but maybe that indoor/outdoor climate difference is enough to cause curling in the teeth.

Wikiwakawakawee wrote:Could it possibly be just a mutation?

I wonder! I don't know how such things work. It does seem to happen to all the adult traps.