Dionaea muscipula — the most famous carnivore on Earth and, grown correctly, a genuinely easy and hardy one.
Full, direct sun — six or more hours. Strong light turns the trap interiors deep red; too little light is the single most common reason flytraps decline.
Keep the soil wet at all times, standing the pot in a tray of mineral-free water.
The classic mix — peat moss and perlite in equal parts, with no fertilizer ever. A deeper pot suits the surprisingly long roots.
Temperate — it needs a cold winter dormancy of about three months around 35–50°F. It will drop most of its leaves and look dead; this is normal. In Zone 6a it overwinters outdoors with protection — mulch, a cold frame, or an unheated garage.
Outdoors it feeds itself. Never give an indoor plant hamburger or human food — it rots the trap. Each trap only closes a handful of times before it dies, so never trigger them for fun.
The big mistakes: triggering traps for entertainment, feeding the wrong food, mineral water, and skipping dormancy. An occasional blackened trap is normal — the plant constantly grows new ones.
Carnivorous plants are wildly diverse. Within every group, individual species can have their own specific needs — particular light levels, temperatures, dormancy triggers, or water depth — that aren’t covered here. Treat this as a starting point: check a species-specific guide, or ask the community, before committing to a particular plant.