Form
Each leaf ends in two lobes edged with cilia that close like a cage.
16
Dionaea muscipula 12cm
Normal price
€15,00
What does the legal guarantee mean for plants?
The legal guarantee concerns the plant’s conformity at delivery. It is not a guarantee of survival or growth for two years. Each issue is assessed taking into account the nature of the plant, its care and the conditions in which it is kept. Your statutory rights remain unaffected.
Dionaeamuscipula
The plant that doesn’t want fertiliser — it wants a menu 🪰
- Active traps
- Red trap interiors
- Collectable carnivorous plant
- Sculptural rosette
- Unique movement
Dionaea muscipula is one of the very few plants offering real movement before your eyes. Toothed green traps open like tiny jaws and, under strong light, their interiors can become deep red. The low sculptural rosette becomes an instant collector feature on a bright sill or in an outdoor corner, combining scientific curiosity, bold geometry and a character no ordinary foliage can imitate.
Every trap is a specialised leaf designed to attract, sense and close around small insects. Even while still, the repetition of open traps creates a strange almost otherworldly composition that fascinates children and adults alike—always for observation, never pointless triggering.
What makes it special
Dionaea muscipula combines a specialised mechanical trap with a bold low rosette.
Colour
The exterior remains green while the interior can redden strongly, creating sharp contrast.
Texture
The inner surface carries fine trigger hairs and nectar, while marginal cilia form a crisp toothed outline.
Why you’ll love it: it offers genuine plant movement, striking red traps and collector character that immediately starts a conversation.
In your space Placement & plant pairings Where it looks its best and which plants complement it
Where it looks its best
On a bright shelf, desk or small side table near a window but away from harsh midday sun. A matte pot in terracotta, cream or deep green lets the foliage take the lead.
Plants that complement it
Choices with compatible light needs and contrasting textures keep the arrangement balanced.
- Drosera capensis — slender leaves with sparkling sticky droplets.
- Sarracenia purpurea — upright tubular traps with deep colour.
- Pinguicula moranensis — a flat rosette with softly glossy leaves.
Care at a glance
Light
Full sun or very strong light, with gradual acclimation.
Water
Keep the mix consistently moist with rain, deionised or distilled water.
Atmosphere
Good airflow, an outdoor seasonal cycle and a cool winter dormancy.
Pets
Listed as non-toxic to cats and dogs; the traps cannot injure a person or pet.
Chosen for this plant
Specialised substrate
Detailed care Complete care guide Light, watering, humidity, substrate and nutrition in detail
Very strong light
Provide several hours of direct sun after gradual acclimation. An outdoor position is usually more effective than an indoor windowsill.
Low-mineral water
Use rain, deionised or distilled water. Keep a shallow amount at the base during active growth and do not let the mix dry out.
Air, not sealed glass
Dionaea needs good airflow and is not suitable for a sealed terrarium. Outdoor air reduces stagnant humidity around the rosette.
Winter dormancy
In autumn growth becomes smaller and several traps blacken. It needs a cool winter period, usually below 10°C, without the entire root zone freezing solid.
A specialised nutrient-poor mix
Use only Carnivorous Mix without added fertiliser. Ordinary enriched compost or mineral-rich water can cause serious damage.
No fertiliser
Do not apply fertiliser to the roots or traps. The plant meets part of its needs from small insects and does not need hand-feeding outdoors.
Botanical identity Origin of the cultivar The species’ range and the history of the cultivated selection
Natural range
Dionaea muscipula is native to a small area of eastern North and South Carolina in the USA.
Habitat
It inhabits sunny acidic bogs and wet pine savannas with very few available nutrients.
Botanical identity
It is the only species in the genus Dionaea. It is listed as Vulnerable and included in CITES Appendix II because wild populations face pressure.
From natural habitat to care: Its nutrient-poor, permanently moist and very bright habitat explains the need for low-mineral water, specialised unfertilised mix and strong sun.
Greenleaf for Plant Nerds Scientific facts nobody asked for Botanical details for anyone curious about the plant behind the foliage
Two stimuli help confirm prey
A trap usually requires two touches of trigger hairs within a short interval, reducing accidental closure from rain or dust.
Closure is electrochemical
Stimulation creates electrical signals and a rapid change in cell pressure, reversing the curvature of the lobes.
Insects supplement nitrogen and phosphorus
Photosynthesis provides energy, while prey digestion supplements elements missing from the nutrient-poor soil.
Winter dormancy is natural
Smaller traps and blackening older leaves in autumn are part of the annual cold cycle.
Frequently asked questions
Practical answers about growth and the plant’s most common signals.
01 Can the traps bite a person?
No. Their force and size suit only small arthropods and cannot injure a finger, child or pet.
02 Why is a trap turning black?
Each trap functions a limited number of times and then ages naturally. Remove it only once fully black, without injuring the rosette.
03 Can tap water be used?
Only if it is confirmed to contain very few dissolved minerals. Rain, deionised or distilled water is the safe choice.
04 Should it be fed insects?
Not when it lives outdoors; it catches what it needs. Never give meat or overload the traps, because digestion uses energy.
05 Why does it become smaller in winter?
This is normal winter dormancy. The rosette sits lower, traps are reduced and growth resumes in spring after the cold cycle.
06 Is it safe for pets?
It is listed as non-toxic to cats and dogs, and its traps are far too weak to injure them. Protect the plant from play that could damage it.
📦 Your plant travels protected
Every order is prepared with care so your plant arrives upright, secure and safe.
Individual protection
Plants in pots with a capacity of 3 litres or more are placed in individual boxes that hold the pot securely and reduce the risk of tipping over.
Sturdy packaging
We use reinforced cardboard designed to protect against impacts and vibration during transport.