FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

I've heard those stories where people have managed to grow Venus flytraps with 2 inch traps. I have some cultivars like B-52 x B-52 that supposedly grow traps as large as 5cm. However, the largest one Ive had on my plant was only 2.5cm and didn't even reach 3cm, and I bet some typical vft have reached 3cm with trap size. My B-52 is also flowering, meaning its probably mature. I doubt that traps wouldn't get bigger after it flowers as its already mature. Do Venus flytraps still get larger after they flower? Also, will I see peak season traps for the coming summer, or will that energy be wasted on the flower stalk? Im thinking of collecting seeds, hence why I haven't and won't cut the flower stalk off.

Ive heard that to get the largest traps (5cm) comes from providing the perfect conditions. But what are those perfect conditions? In terms of care and culture, I have only known the basic care of giving full direct sun and letting the Venus flytraps sit in a tray of distilled water. However, there must be more to being able to grow the largest flytraps than just those basic care requirements. Fyi I use peat moss and perlite for my plants and they stay outside all year round sitting in water in full sun. I also feed them freeze dried bloodworms every now and then as I've heard that that apparently accelerates their growth. Btw I am in Australia New South Wales.

So to sum this up, how do people manage to grow Venus flytraps with 5cm traps?

Just because they flower it doesn't mean they have hit peak maturity. Even seedling have been known to flower. Mine usually flower by season two but grow continuously larger traps (on the original growth point) for another 2-4 years until they reach their maximum potential (which may never be 2 inches, regardless of perfect care).

My largest traps are usually the second or third set in early spring after dormancy. After spring flowering season (even if you cut the stalks) the traps are slightly smaller in average size until late summer-early fall when they start to really downsize and hug the ground in preparation for dormancy.

I also found that feeding them a lot doesn't always translate into bigger traps, but it does make them divide like crazy.

Thanks for the informative answer!

Also some cultivars are bred and cloned to produce larger than normal traps. DCXL, B52, and Pinnacle are just a few that will probably produce much larger traps.