Expert: Sarracenia Northwest - 5/6/2010

Question
Yes, I've had a trap growing good for over two years and doing well, but it does not turn red on the inside of the trap. We live in Mississippi and I use distilled water and have them setting on window sill in the sun light and sometimes outside during the day.
Thank you for your time,
Billie

Answer
Hi Billie,

I'm a bit confused here because there wasn't an explicit question.  Did you want to know why your plant is turning red on the inside of the traps?  If so, then it will depend on two things, the type of flytrap you have and sunlight.

Some varieties of flytraps have deep red traps, while others are pale or even green.  It's all about genetics.  Even with typical forms, you will see a wide range of shading within the traps among plants.  There are also flytraps that are all green, with no red pigment.  

Sunlight is also an issue.  Ideally, you should grow your flytrap outside in full sun, 6 or more hours of direct sunlight.  At our nursery in Oregon, we grow them exclusively outdoors.  Under no circumstance do we bring them in a greenhouse.  Since you live in Mississippi, you shouldn't have any problems growing it outdoors, even in winter.  So if your plant is genetically predisposed to having red traps, you should see an improvement in color with more sunlight.  (Windows block UV light, which will affect color and growth.)

For more information about growing flytraps, watch our video podcast:
http://www.cobraplant.com/videos

Good growing!
Jacob Farin