If I may quote Admiral Ackbar.."It's a Trap!"

http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/life-venus-flytrap-catches-flies.html

6-10 weeks for the Venus Fly Trap to germinate? That's a mighty long time for a kid.

As long as it doesn't turn into:

The one review on Amazon seems to suggest that these things will live for literally YEARS after they fully germinate, so at least they'll be around for a good while after the wait.

You can find everything you ever wanted to know about Dionaea muscipula here, including a nice set of Fly Trap FAQS and a Active Forum for Fly Traps and other Carnivorous Plants!

EDIT: And let's not forget the growing flytraps from seeds section.

I was always more of a fan of Dr. Johnny Fever.

My kid has been wanting a carnivorous plant for awhile. He'll be stoked! In for one.

When the plant gets bigger, will they eat my children?

Hmm, I found a not so good amazon review: http://www.amazon.com/World-Alive-Exotic-Jungle-Greenhouse/dp/B000XFYQWU

Most other websites confirm that it can take up to 3-5 years for the plant to mature. But who cares, I'm in for one and I'm looking forward to it.

I grow carnivorous plants. Lots of them, including the Venus Flytrap. The amazon review is quite accurate. Flytraps do take a long time to grow from seeds and they are actually very hardy. I grow mine outside in full sun, all year long. Depending on what USDA zone you live in, it is likely you can as well.

FUN FACT! Venus Flytraps only grow naturally in the wild within a 60 mile radius of Wilmington, NC.

might sound silly, but how do you feed it? Do I have to catch flys?

What are the dimensions of the greenhouse?

Out of the 55 seeds provided, only 5 are Venus Flytrap. 20 Mimosa seeds, which surprises me because it MAY be invasive in your state. Non-native species should be avoided; mimosa's were introduced in the 1700's from China. They grow out of control along the Garden State Parkway in northern NJ. And why are mimosas & coleus lumped in the "carnivorous" category?
Sigh, garden responsibly.

tampatwinmom wrote:might sound silly, but how do you feed it? Do I have to catch flys?

They catch their own flies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DZiTACprhE

And other things too...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymnLpQNyI6g&feature=related

I bought 3 venus flytraps just yesterday. Could have waited one day, I suppose, had I known.

Be prepared to water these with distilled water or rain water ... tap water will kill the grown versions and will cause new kits like these to be stillborn.

http://carnivorousplants.wikia.com/wiki/Venus_Fly_Trap

How about if I water them with some of that warpushima water? Will they grow large enough to rid my neighborhood of door-to-door solicitors?

While this looks to be a wonderful idea any child who gets it will just experience disappointment.

Venus flytraps are NOT tropical plants. They are native to the Carolinas and when kept in an environment such as this they are guaranteed to die. They need to be kept outside and get at least 6 hrs of direct sun every day. They need to go through a winter cooldown/freeze to properly grow. They also don't need to be fed meat or flies - those are just supplements (since they tend to live in places that have poor soil).

I'd purchase this and find something else to grow in it. If you want to grow carniverous plants check out a reputable nursery like Sarracinia NW to get either tropical plants or more temperate plants. That way you can build a bog garden with your kids!

FlamingoNut wrote:Out of the 55 seeds provided, only 5 are Venus Flytrap. 20 Mimosa seeds, which surprises me because it MAY be invasive in your state. Non-native species should be avoided; mimosa's were introduced in the 1700's from China. They grow out of control along the Garden State Parkway in northern NJ. And why are mimosas & coleus lumped in the "carnivorous" category?
Sigh, garden responsibly.

Indeed! I'm from north Jersey originally and now live down by the shore, and aside from them being wild they sell Venus Fly Traps at Lowe's and Home Depot, so I suppose if you find them there, then you know its okay to have them in/around your home?

Wonders if these would eat stink bugs. Those things are all over the place.

kingmny wrote:Wonders if these would eat stink bugs. Those things are all over the place.

That would be fantastic!! and if so.. I'd be in for about 50 plants

dalvers63 wrote:While this looks to be a wonderful idea any child who gets it will just experience disappointment.

Venus flytraps are NOT tropical plants. They are native to the Carolinas and when kept in an environment such as this they are guaranteed to die. They need to be kept outside and get at least 6 hrs of direct sun every day. They need to go through a winter cooldown/freeze to properly grow. They also don't need to be fed meat or flies - those are just supplements (since they tend to live in places that have poor soil).

I'd purchase this and find something else to grow in it. If you want to grow carniverous plants check out a reputable nursery like Sarracinia NW to get either tropical plants or more temperate plants. That way you can build a bog garden with your kids!

This article has tips for growing Venus Flytraps indoors. It looks like it's a little bit complex, but entirely possible. I think it's worth a try, anyway!

http://www.ehow.com/how_6512694_grow-venus-fly-traps-indoors.html

The sensitive plants and coleus are easy to grow from seed, and the sensitive plants are really interesting as well.

Info related to greenhouses from NASA


Climate Kids

I don't know about anyone else, but I personally would have had neither enough patience nor self-restraint to grow one of these as a child. Hell, I'm still tempted to poke at them every time I visit my local botanical garden. I suppose worst case scenario it's a $20 lesson in life.

theguruguys wrote:As long as it doesn't turn into:

In related news, Amazon has the DVD for $4.99:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002NZK5TG/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_9?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

I will never understand why these kits sell as well as they do, as someone who is an advanced carnivorous plant grower, and hobbiest, These sorts of setups will work well for germination, but nothing else. A Venus Fly Trap left in that "Terrarium" would suffer from fungus, mold, and if in the sun, overheating. The medium holder is too shallow, Venus fly Traps like to shoot roots deep, and the fact that it is clear can also lead to overheating problems. one last thing is that in these kits, they usually include old seed, the seeds of most carnivorous plants do not last long if left in the wrong conditions.

For more information of proper care of VFT's you can check a multitude of sites out there, one of the best I have yet found is http://www.flytrapcare.com

" New
Product:
1 Discovery Kids Venus Flytrap Exotic Jungle with Greenhouse, Soil, 55 Seeds & Shovel"

55 Seeds????


?? Cathy in NH

Can a vegan own this? Vegetarian?

mikeknight01 wrote:Can a vegan own this? Vegetarian?

Vegans and vegetarians own cats and dogs, right? So, yeah.

CathyInNH wrote:" New
Product:
1 Discovery Kids Venus Flytrap Exotic Jungle with Greenhouse, Soil, 55 Seeds & Shovel"

55 Seeds????


?? Cathy in NH

But they're not all venus flytrap seeds. There are some venus flytraps and other assorted carnivorous plants, some Mimosas (sensitive plant) and some Coleus.

hoorayfordolphins@msn.com wrote:Indeed! I'm from north Jersey originally and now live down by the shore, and aside from them being wild they sell Venus Fly Traps at Lowe's and Home Depot, so I suppose if you find them there, then you know its okay to have them in/around your home?

Unfortunately, you can't rely on garden stores to sell only native, non-invasive plants. Stores sell what they can make money on and do not check what they sell with invasive species groups. Many plants that are invasive were introduced by people who wanted to plant them in their yards (mimosa, English ivy, privet, butterfly bush, autumn olive, Japanese honeysuckle). You can buy butterfly bushes in Home Depot, even though they are very invasive in open upland habitats.

You probably don't need to worry about the plants in the kit being invasive as long as you grow them inside and discard of any waste/cuttings/dead-or-not-so-dead plants carefully. The New Jersey Invasive Species Strike Team's website should be able to answer any questions you have. http://www.njisst.org/

Sorry for the lecture, but invasive species removal is my cause. Have a good day and remember to double check your plantings list. : )

jnevil wrote:**Shipping Update**

Discovery Kids Venus Flytrap Exotic Jungle has completely shipped via FEDEX SMART POST. All tracking has already been emailed out. You can also find your tracking number by following this link and use your ORDER NUMBER as the reference number.

FEDEX TRACKING

i did not get one! it's saying it can't find me =[

jnevil wrote:**Shipping Update**

Discovery Kids Venus Flytrap Exotic Jungle has completely shipped via FEDEX SMART POST. All tracking has already been emailed out. You can also find your tracking number by following this link and use your ORDER NUMBER as the reference number.

FEDEX TRACKING

i did not get one! it's saying it can't find me =[

kitten11 wrote:i did not get one! it's saying it can't find me =[

Try your tracking info once again. When it's first sent out, it takes a day or two for it to start updating on the FedEx site.

Can someone tell me how much this was? its on buy.com right now for $20