My prized venus flytrap suddenly went black after I gave it tap water for just 3 days straight

I was so sure distilled water was a myth but now I'm staring at a crispy brown trap with a $30 hole in my wallet, has anyone else killed a carnivorous plant with something this basic?

2 comments

2 Comments

leow901mo ago

Did you ever see that episode of Gardening Roots where they tested tap water on different houseplants? They showed how the minerals in tap water build up in carnivorous plants because they evolved to get nutrients from bugs instead of soil. It was pretty eye opening. Your flytrap probably got mineral burn from the calcium and chlorine. I lost a pitcher plant the exact same way before I learned better.

nina1471mo ago

Switching to distilled water fixed my sarracenia right up. I just grab a gallon from the store for a buck and it lasts weeks. No more crispy leaves or brown spots on the traps.

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