The Carnivorous Family I

Participants were 50 plant pals club students ranging from K-6th grade who were either given a 1 2" potted plants: Venus Fly Trap or Spoon Sundew to care for. 24 (n=24) of them responded to a data collection survey. The data collected and presented was all child-led.

As we expected the Venus Fly Trap (VFT) was not an easy plant to take care compared to the spoon sundew plant. With an average rating of 4 out of a scale of 10 in care level, the VFT was reported to have more maintenance requirements, specifically, when it came to light. Not surprisingly, the light requirement for carnivorous plants was reported to be on avg. of 5-8 hours of sunlight. Those who were not able to provide that amount of light saw their plants slowly decline. In regards to watering, students found that by keeping their plants in a reservoir of water that the soil would stay moist at all times which is what these swamp plants love ! When it came to new foliage growth, on avg, students saw up to 5 new leaves on their plants ! Most of the traps on the Venus Fly Trap trapped a variety of critters from gnats, mealworms, spiders and more ! It's worth noting that the trap ('mouth') would hardly open ever if they actually did catch a bug. Overall, our students would recommend this plant as a gift for those who are curious about the carnivorous plant world.

In conclusion, this data suggest that the Venus Fly Trap, and the Carnivorous Plant Family in general, like to be sitting in water for the most part and given all the light they can get. Having a reservoir of water will greatly help with keeping your plant alive and thriving. It's worth noting that if your Venus Fly Trap leaves turns black its because it has reached its lifespan and should not be of concern if there is new growth emerging. The Spoon Sundews flowers should be cut as it will suck all the energy of the plant. Overall, both the VFT and Spoon Sundew plant are cool, fun and amazing to have as a plant pal !