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Dionaea Muscipula Scarlet Bristle

Dionaea muscipula 'Scarlet Bristle'

Venus Flytrap
Availability:
Out of stock
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£9.99 - £9.99
£9.99
£9.99 - £9.99
£9.99
Supplied in a 9cm Pot

You’ll receive one established division growing in a 9cm pot with soil perfect for Venus flytraps. Plant size and seasonal appearance will vary; photos show our mother plants.

Seasonal Information

Dionaea are perennial plants. Heading into Winter, the Venus flytraps may have very few traps when purchased. Don't worry, they'll be back in the Spring!

Delivery Information

Delivery from £4.99 (mainland UK). We aim to dispatch orders within 2 working days.

Plant Description

Dionaea muscipula 'Scarlet Bristle' is a distinctive Venus flytrap discovered by Richard Keen in Canada. The plant appeared during tissue culture propagation of typical Venus flytraps in his laboratory. It stood out immediately due to its unusual trap structure and deep red colour.

The plant grows low to the ground in all seasons. The leaves remain short and lie close to the surface of the growing medium. This gives Dionaea muscipula 'Scarlet Bristle' a compact and spreading habit rather than the upright form seen in many other cultivars.

Colour is a key feature. The leaf blades and traps develop strong scarlet to burgundy tones when grown in filtered sunlight. Many plants maintain this red colour across most of the trap surface rather than only inside the trap.

The trap margins are very unusual. The marginal cilia are short, irregular, and heavily reduced. They lack the long hairlike tips seen on standard Venus flytraps. This creates a rough edge around the trap lobes that looks coarse and bristly. The structure differs clearly from dentate forms such as Dionaea muscipula 'Shark Tooth' and also from cultivars like Dionaea muscipula 'Red Piranha'.

Dionaea muscipula 'Scarlet Bristle' also shows an uncommon feature in the trigger hairs. As the traps age, the upper portion of the trichomes develops thick, bristly growth. On mature traps, this growth becomes easy to see with the naked eye. The shape can resemble a spear tip or the end of a small bottle brush.

This added growth on the trigger hairs does not appear to change how the trap works.

Plant photos above are of our Dionaea muscipula 'Scarlet Bristle' mother plants. Divisions are taken from the mother plants and are planted into 9cm pots to be sold. Division sizes can vary greatly and will always be sent largest first. If you'd like to know the size of a plant before ordering, please feel free to contact us.

Dionaea Muscipula Scarlet Bristle

Basic Dionaea Care

Dionaea muscipula 'Scarlet Bristle' is easy to care for, given the correct conditions. An unheated greenhouse is an ideal location. Here are the 3 golden rules for healthy Venus flytraps.

  1. Provide as much sun as possible.
  2. Keep their pots sat in 1-2cm of rainwater.
  3. Use acidic soil. A 1:1 peat moss & perlite mix is typical.

Take a look at our full, in-depth guide for more information.

Full Care Guide

FAQs

What should I feed my Venus flytrap?

Nothing. You do not need to offer any additional food to a Venus flytrap. They will catch their own food, especially when kept outdoors or in an unheated greenhouse

How do I water Venus flytraps?
  • March–October: Stand the plant pot in a saucer or tray containing 1 to 2 cm of rainwater. The soil should never be allowed to dry out.
  • November–February: Keep the soil just damp, reducing the standing water significantly while they rest.
Can I use tapwater for Venus flytraps?

No, unless you live in a very soft water area (<50ppm) do not use tapwater. Regular tap water contains minerals, lime, and chlorine that burn and kill the roots over time.
Always use collected rainwater, distilled water, or reverse-osmosis (RO) water.

Do Venus flytraps need winter dormancy?

Yes, Dionaea need a cold winter rest period (roughly from Halloween to Valentine's Day) with lower temperatures (unheated greenhouses, cold frames, or bright sheds). Their old traps will turn brown and die back; this is completely natural. Trim away dead growth to prevent mould (botrytis).

What kind of soil should I use for Venus flytraps?

Use a specialist peat-free or low-nutrient carnivorous plant compost, typically mixed with perlite or equivalent for drainage. Never use standard multi-purpose garden compost, which contains too many nutrients.

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