Question
Like many who get started in this hobby I've gotten a couple of Venus flytraps. In this case from a 99 cents store. They look healthy (so far) & am caring for them like you suggest. However they have a number of traps that have made captures and now are shriveling and turning black including the stalk (leaf) portion. Should I trim these off now or do we leave them until spring? We are in the Los Angeles area.
The plant also had flower stalks which are now blooming (wrong time of year apparently. Should they be trimmed also?

Answer
Hi Ed,

Yes, trim off any leaves that have blackened, and trim off the flower stalk.  For now, grow your plant in a sunny east windowsill that gets a couple hours of direct sunlight.  This is to begin the process of acclimating your plant for outdoor growing.  After a week or so in this windowsill, you may transfer it outdoors where it can get 6 or more hours of direct sunlight.  Of course, we're entering the fall season, so this might not be possible, but find the sunniest location you got.

There will be some leaf burn, and this is completely normal and unavoidable.  Rest assured that all new growth with be acclimated to outdoor growing.  Given your area, you can successfully grow flytraps outdoors throughout the entire year with no winter protection.

For more information about growing flytraps, read our care sheet online:
http://www.cobraplant.com/caresheets

Good growing!
Jacob Farin