Carnivorous plant dormancy is a winter rest that Venus flytraps and North American pitcher plants need to stay healthy year after year. As days shorten and temperatures drop, these plants slow down or stop growing, and many of their leaves brown or blacken. That's expected. Flytraps rest for about three months. Pitcher plants in the genus Sarracenia rest for three to five months. Tropical pitcher plants (Nepenthes) don't go dormant at all and keep growing through winter.
Here's what to expect from each plant, how to give it a safe winter wherever you live, and how to wake it up in spring. If you're adding plants to your collection, the Carnivorous Plants Collection from Verdant Lyfe includes flytraps, Sarracenia, and tropical Nepenthes.
What Is Carnivorous Plant Dormancy?
Dormancy is a resting period that carries a plant through the season when its home habitat turns cold. Venus flytraps come from the coastal plain of North and South Carolina, where winters are chilly but rarely freezing. The plants evolved to stop growing through those months and start again in spring.
Barry Rice, author of The Carnivorous Plant FAQ, compares it to sleep. A plant that expects a rest will try to grow and rest at the same time if you skip it, and it weakens and may die. Flytraps and Sarracenia don't form special winter buds the way some sundews and butterworts do. They simply slow down or stop growing.
Which Carnivorous Plants Need a Winter Dormancy?
The temperate species do, and the tropical ones don't. Use this table to check your plants.
| Plant | Needs dormancy? | How long | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) | Yes | About 3 months over winter | Keep chilly but above freezing, with some light |
| North American pitcher plants (Sarracenia) | Yes | 3 to 5 months | Shorter days are the main trigger |
| Tropical pitcher plants (Nepenthes) | No | None | Keep warm and bright all year |
| Sundews (Drosera) and butterworts (Pinguicula) | Depends on the species | Varies | Check the care notes for your exact plant |
Verdant Lyfe's Sarracenia include Sarracenia 'Judith Hindle', Sarracenia Purpurea 'Venosa Red', Sarracenia 'Scarlet Belle', and the Sarracenia Bug Bat. All of them need a winter rest.
When Does Dormancy Start and End?
Dormancy starts in fall as the days get shorter. You'll notice growth slowing in late summer, when your plant makes fewer new traps or pitchers. The New York Botanical Garden's Venus flytrap care guide says leaves begin dying back around November unless the plant is kept warm under grow lights. Plants are ready to grow again around March.
If you bought your plant recently, check how long it's been growing. Rice recommends giving a winter rest only if the plant will have grown for at least four months by winter. A plant bought in late fall or winter should skip dormancy this year and rest next winter instead.
What Does a Dormant Venus Flytrap Look Like?
A dormant flytrap looks tired but alive. Growth slows, new leaves stay small and close to the soil, and older leaves blacken over several weeks. Most plants keep at least a few green leaves.
A dying flytrap looks different. It collapses quickly and turns soft and mushy. If your plant has stopped growing and you can't tell, wait. Checking the bulb means digging it up, and that can damage a healthy plant. Rice's advice is to leave it alone for another month and watch for green.
If your plant is showing black traps outside of winter, the cause is probably something else. Verdant Lyfe's guide to why Venus fly traps turn black covers light, water, soil, and feeding problems.
What Happens to Pitcher Plants in Winter?
North American pitcher plants stop making new pitchers and rest. Before they go dormant, some produce new leaves that don't trap insects at all.
As pitchers brown, trim only the brown parts. The NYBG's American pitcher plant care guide explains that the living sections of a leaf keep feeding the plant through dormancy.
Light is the most important trigger for Sarracenia dormancy. Shorter days will send the plant into rest even if your home stays warm. For a full dormancy, lower the temperature and water a bit less too, but keep the soil damp at all times.
Winter hardiness varies. Most Sarracenia handle light frosts and brief freezes. The northern purple pitcher plant, Sarracenia purpurea subsp. purpurea, tolerates a long, deep freeze. Ask your grower whether your plant is hardy in your USDA zone before you leave it outside.
Tropical pitcher plants are the exception. Nepenthes come from regions that stay warm year-round, so they keep growing through winter. Nepenthes Miranda, Nepenthes 'Lady Luck', Nepenthes Gaya, Nepenthes Sanguinea, and Nepenthes Alata need no dormancy.
How Do I Give My Plant a Winter Dormancy?
Pick the method that fits your climate. Each one keeps the plant chilly, above freezing, and slightly moist.
- Outdoors. If your winter days rarely climb much above 75°F and nights rarely fall below 32°F, leave the plant outside in the sun. Keep it in a tray of water, and cover it with newspaper on frosty nights.
- A cold, sunny window. If your winters are too harsh for outdoors, set the plant beside a bright window in a cool room. The NYBG guide suggests letting a flytrap's temperature drop to about 45 to 50°F.
- An unheated space with light. A cold greenhouse, enclosed porch, or garage with a window works if the space stays cold enough for rest but frost-free. It needs daylight, because a plant that isn't in deep dormancy still photosynthesizes.
- The refrigerator. Put the potted plant in a sealed plastic bag and place it in the refrigerator, never the freezer. The cold sends it into a deep dormancy, so it doesn't need light. Keep the soil moist. Rice notes this method works a little less reliably for flytraps than for some other carnivorous plants, though he still gets good results with it.
Avoid a dark basement, closet, or windowless garage. Rice warns that a plant resting there will still try to photosynthesize and can die without light.
Whichever method you use, stop feeding for the winter. Water less than you do in summer, and keep the soil just barely moist for flytraps and damp for Sarracenia. Never let the soil dry out.
How Do I Handle Dormancy in Florida or Another Warm Climate?
Use the refrigerator if your winters stay warm. Rice calls the refrigerator method probably the best option for growers in the tropics.
Try not to repot a flytrap in fall just to make it fit the refrigerator. Repotting stresses a plant that's starting to rest. If you must, handle the roots gently.
How Do I Wake My Plant Up in Spring?
Around March, move your plant back to its usual spot and routine. If it spent the winter in the refrigerator, take it out and ease it back into bright light. New leaves should appear as the days get longer and warmer.
Once growth starts, trim away any leaves that are completely black. Spring is the best time to repot a flytrap if it has outgrown its pot. Sarracenia are best repotted while still dormant, every three to five years.
Mature flytraps often send up a flower stalk in early spring. Flowering uses energy the plant would otherwise put into new traps, so the NYBG guide recommends cutting the stalk near the base once it's about an inch long.
Keeping Something Green All Winter
If you'd like carnivorous plants that stay active while your flytraps and Sarracenia rest, add a few tropical species. Rice suggests growing some plants that are active in winter and some that are active in summer so your collection always has something going on.
Several Verdant Lyfe bundles pair different carnivorous species. The Trap Stars Duo's "Bite Me" pairing, for example, matches a Green Venus Fly Trap with an Alata tropical pitcher plant.
- The Bite Club Carnivorous Plant Bundle, a collection of several carnivorous species.
- Trap Stars Duo, six two-plant pairings to choose from.
- Savage Quad Carnivorous Plant Bundle, four carnivorous plants.
- Trio of Terror Carnivorous Plant Bundle, three plants for a windowsill or small terrarium.
To grow them together in one display, the carnivorous plant terrarium guide covers which species share a setup well. Plan to move flytraps and Sarracenia out of the terrarium for winter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Venus flytraps really need dormancy?
Growers disagree. The NYBG guide says a flytrap grown indoors can skip dormancy, though a winter rest may benefit it. Rice recommends dormancy for beginners. If your plant struggles in low winter light, giving it a rest is the safer choice.
Can I put my Venus flytrap in the refrigerator for winter?
Yes. Seal the potted plant in a plastic bag, keep the soil moist, and store it in the refrigerator, not the freezer, until spring.
Should I water my carnivorous plant during dormancy?
Yes, but less. Keep flytrap soil just barely moist and Sarracenia soil damp. Always use distilled water, rainwater, or reverse-osmosis water.
Should I cut off black leaves during dormancy?
Cut flytrap leaves once they're completely black. On pitcher plants, trim only the brown parts of each pitcher and leave the green.
My plant arrived in winter. Should I force it into dormancy?
No. If it hasn't grown for at least four months, let it keep growing this winter and give it a rest next year.
Do tropical pitcher plants go dormant?
No. Nepenthes grow all year and should stay warm and bright through winter.
Have questions about a plant you bought from Verdant Lyfe? Call 786-244-3888, or stop by the Coral Springs nursery at 3859 NW 124th Ave, where walk-ins are welcome on weekdays.
