FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hi all,

Curious if some species of venus flytrap tend to live longer than others and what factors are known to affect lifespan.

Flytraps don't really die of old age, once mature the old part of the underground rhizome continuously dies or divides off the mother plant while it adds a fresh new section for the current crown growth. That is why you can center the mother plant in the spring and by autumn it will have "walked" off to the side of the pot leaving behind new baby divisions along the way.

Technically speaking, since Dionaea have terminal monocarpic scapes, after they flower the main growth point dies and is replaced by an axillary node on the stem (rhizome), like sarrs, helis, neps, and cephs.

But an individual Dionaea plant doesn't really have a set lifespan, and if cared for well, it will keep dividing and growing year after year. Some cultivars are more vigorous than others. Nepenthes x Dyeriana is nearly 200 years old, and the genetics are kept alive by asexual propagation (cloning).