Let Them Bloom? The Great Venus Flytrap Flower Debate

Published on 29.04.2025

Ah, flytrap flowers. Nothing divides growers faster than this one innocent-looking stalk shooting up in spring.

To Flower or Not to Flower?

When I see my flytraps waking up strong and happy, throwing out big traps and looking like they’ve had a good winter nap, I let them flower. I like watching them grow tall, stretch up, and show off.

But if a plant looks weak, sleepy, or just not in the mood? Snip. No hesitation. The flower goes. Sorry, friend — you need to focus on growing, not flirting.

If you’re a beginner, here’s my advice: Cut the flower. Especially if you're unsure about your plant’s health. Don’t feel bad. You’re not ruining anything. In fact, you’re probably saving your plant from exhaustion.

The Vanilla Mystery

Now, here’s something weird I noticed one season. I was in the greenhouse, walking past all the blooming flytraps, and I suddenly thought, “Wait, is someone eating vanilla pudding in here?” Turns out — it was the flowers!

Yep. Flytrap flowers smell like vanilla. At least to me. Maybe my nose is broken, or maybe it’s greenhouse magic, but ever since then, I sniff them every year just to make sure I didn’t imagine it. Still smells sweet. Still weird. Still great.

The Seed Situation

Even though I only cross-pollinate a few selected cultivars each season (yes, I’m picky), I let most of the flowers do their thing naturally. The result? Seeds. So many seeds.

I’ve been doing this for four years now, and every season I get fresh babies from open-pollinated flowers.

Now I have a whole section of my collection that’s just seed-grown flytraps from different years. It’s like a time capsule — each generation a little surprise, some weirdos, some beauties, all special.

So… Should You Let Yours Flower?

Honestly? It’s up to you. But here’s the simple version:

Strong plant? Let it bloom and enjoy the show.

Weak plant? Cut it. Save the energy.

Want seeds? Let it go.

Don’t care about seeds? Snip snip.

And if you ever catch a whiff of vanilla in your flytrap setup… now you know. It might not be your snack. It might just be a flower saying, “Hey, smell me!”

Stay snappy 🌱

— Peter