International Carnivorous Plant Society

In 1995 I received seedlings of dentate Venus Flytraps (plants with triangular, toothlike marginal tentacles, or trap bars) from my friend Ivan Snyder. These were f5 plants derived from a dentate Venus Flytrap that was selected by Leo Song, Jr. many years ago from a batch of wild-collected plants. The plants I received lacked red coloration, but they gave me the idea to make a dentate Venus Flytrap that was intensely red.

On June 20, 1995 I crossed the dentate Venus Flytrap that had the most triangular trap bars with a red Venus Flytrap developed in Europe. The flower was emasculated to avoid self pollination. Ivan germinated the resulting seed—all these f1 plants were green. The fastest grower (which matured in eight months) with the best dentate trap bars was selected. Its flowers were self pollinated. Of the few hundred seedlings, one quarter had red coloration—the red coloration is apparently recessive. The plants varied greatly in trap bar size and shape, but one plant in particular was just what I wanted. Because it is red and has trap bars that look like piranha teeth, I named it Dionaea 'Red Piranha'.

As with other red Venus Flytraps the intensity of red coloration varies according to cultivation and season. It has been noted by growers who cultivate it next to other popular red Venus Flytraps that its red coloration equals, if not supercedes, their red color. With the help of my friend Ivan, my idea of a dentate Venus Flytrap with red coloration became reality. Dionaea 'Red Piranha' is a beautiful flytrap deserving a place in every plant collection.

Figure 1: Dionaea 'Red Piranha'

This page is maintained by Robert Ziemer,