How to Grow Record Size Venus Flytraps

Three Records, Two Cultivars

The first two came from Alien. The third came from GJ Montecore, bred by Mathias Maier of Green Jaws in Germany in 2014. I'd been growing Montecore since 2020, and this was the first time it pushed out a trap that big. For years I kept hitting 6 cm and couldn't get past it. Then I got home from giving a talk on this exact subject in North Carolina and found this one still growing.

My Four Rules for Giant Traps

1. Start with a proven clone. Pick a plant that has already made exceptionally large traps.
2. Repot every year. Fresh media, every single year.
3. Give it very bright light. Not bright, very bright.
4. Get the fertilizer exactly right. Too little and you leave size on the table. Too much and you hurt the plant.

That's it. Everything below is just those four in more detail.

Genetics Come First

There's only one species of Venus flytrap, but growers have spent decades selecting plants with unusual traits, and trap size is one of them. No amount of perfect care will turn a small clone into a record plant. If you want giant traps, start with a cultivar that has already shown it can make them, then grow it well.

Montecore and Alien are both out of stock right now, but these are strong, big trap plants I have available.

Flytrap GJ Giant FormFrom $35 Flytrap Alien Fused ToothFrom $55 Flytrap SouthWest Giant x Shark ToothFrom $40 Flytrap Big DraculaFrom $21 Flytrap Dracula x B52From $15 Flytrap B52 x Slack GiantFrom $10

See more in Giant Venus Flytraps and my favorite flytraps.

Repot Every Year

Fresh media every year keeps the roots healthy and the soil from breaking down, and it matters even more when you're fertilizing, because fertilizer speeds up that breakdown. I use a lean peat and perlite mix, and a deep pot gives the roots room to grow. My soil guide.

Very Bright Light

Big traps are built on light. Outdoors that means full sun most of the day. Indoors it means strong LEDs close to the plant, not a bright room. If your plant is stretching or staying green, it's not getting enough to make big traps, full stop. How much light flytraps need.

Get the Fertilizer Exactly Right

This is the one that took me the longest to dial in. Montecore is a good example. It's very hard to keep happy because it can't catch insects on its own, so I have to fertilize it, and very carefully. Too much fertilizer hurts more than it helps.

Start weak and slow, only on a plant that's already healthy, and watch how it responds before you push further. My full fertilizer guide.

Nutricote 360, 2oz Cup$12 3.5" Deep Pot, Peat and Perlite Mix$6 3.5" Deep Pot, Empty$1.25

Don't Skip the Rest If You're Chasing Size

A flytrap can go a couple of years without dormancy and be fine. But if you're after maximum trap size, give it a proper winter. A well rested plant comes back with a much stronger spring flush. How to handle dormancy.

The Full Talk

I gave a full talk on this at the Carnivorous and Exotic Plant Symposium in May 2026. If you want the deep version, it's all here.

More From the Record Season

A few more shots from this year. Tap any of them to see it full size.

It Takes a Few Tries

I didn't get these records on the first try. Most years things didn't work, and I'd change one thing and try again the next season. Start with great genetics, repot every year, give it more light than you think it needs, and be careful with fertilizer. Do that for a few seasons and you'll be surprised how big your traps get.