Question
I love the Venus Fly Traps and other outdoor plants.  However, it is just too hot in Las Vegas to leave them outdoors, even in the shade.  Can any of them be grown indoors?

Answer
Hi Susan,

Yes! Actually, you would do the opposite of what growers in Montana would do.  In Montana, growers need to shelter their plants in winter.  In your case, you need to shelter your plants in summer.  

Flytraps will tolerate soil temperatures as high as 100癋.  They tend to die off when the soil temperature goes over 110癋.  So you'll need to protect your plants from this extreme heat.  You can control soil temperature by using a fountain that splashes water over the soil constantly.

You can also grow your plant in a 6-inch terracotta pot.  Set the pot in standing water, no higher than 1/4 of the way up the pot.  Terracotta increases evaporation, which will keep the soil temperature down by about 15-20?  

So grow your plant outdoors until the temperature gets too warm, and then bring it indoors to a very sunny south window.  In late summer or early fall, return the plant outdoors.  Your winters are fairly mild, so your plant will do fine there.

Good growing!
Jacob Farin