Why Does My Venus Flytrap Look Terrible? (Winter Edition)

Does your Venus Flytrap look like this?

Winter dormancy isn't optional for Venus flytraps – it's survival. The process starts naturally in fall, but indoor plants need our help to find their winter. Nature's most melodramatic plant becomes a quiet cluster of black leaves pressed against cold earth. The trap that once snapped shut on flies now withers, dies, rots. This isn't defeat – it's survival.

Most gardeners panic when they see it. They water more, add fertilizer, move it to warmer spots. They kill with kindness what nature designed to endure. The flytrap doesn't need our help to sleep. It needs darkness, cold, time. But beneath the dead leaves, next year's traps are already forming. The plant knows what we forgot: sometimes you have to look dead to stay alive.

Here’s What You Can Do

Reduce water first. Then move the plant somewhere cold, below 50°F (10°C). A garage works. An unheated room works. The leaves will blacken and die. This is normal. This is necessary.

During dormancy, keep the soil barely moist. Water lightly every two weeks. Skip the fertilizer. Skip the feeding. The plant needs this quiet time to reset its growth cycle, to prepare for spring's energy.

Two to three months of cold. Two to three months of rest. Watch the center of the plant – new growth will tell you when winter's work is done. These new leaves come up bright green, reaching for light that suddenly matters again.

Most Venus flytraps die from comfort, not neglect. They need this cold season to thrive, just like they need sun in summer. The plant knows what to do. Our job is to let it happen.

The Winter Sweet Spot

The sweet spot is 35-50°F (2-10°C). Not freezing, but cold enough to convince the plant that winter means business. Think root cellar temperatures. Think refrigerator crisper drawer.

Flytraps can handle brief dips below freezing. Down to 20°F (-6°C) for short periods. But don't push this limit unless you're growing outside in their native range.

Most homes run too warm. Even the coldest bedroom probably sits around 60°F (16°C). This is why garages, cold frames, and unheated porches make better winter homes. The plant reads warmth as a reason to keep growing. Growth without enough light leads to death.