How to Sell Venus Flytraps
Carnivorous plants are becoming more and more popular these days. Venus Flytraps, in particular, are gaining more attention than others because of their unique characteristics. Because of its popularity, there’s now a massive market for it begging for a supply. The question now is, how exactly can you sell Venus Flytraps? Find out here!
How to Grow Venus Fly Traps?
Venus Flytraps are listed as “vulnerable” plants internationally. They are also listed in the US as endangered species. This makes poaching of Venus Flytrap highly illegal.
If this is the case, where can you get Venus Flytraps to sell?
Well, you can grow them!
Here are some methods of how to grow Venus Flytraps:
Seeds:
It takes 4 to 8 weeks for Venus flytraps to sprout from seeds. And over a year before, it is big enough to sell. Still, it can grow quicker or slower depending on the environmental temperature of where it is planted.
Propagation:
Propagation is a quick way of growing Venus flytraps. It can be done in several ways, such as leaf-cutting, stem-cutting, and root-cutting.
Natural Division:
Venus Flytraps can also be divided during the re-poting process. However, it’s best to do it during spring and summer to get the best result. Also, avoid replanting when it’s actively flowering because it usually just dies or gets sick.
Clones vs. Cultivars:
Please take note that garden variety Venus flytraps are pretty affordable. These cost around $10 each. This is why if you want to get real money, selling cultivars is way more profitable. However, what exactly is the difference between clones and cultivars?
Clones:
Clones are genetically identical plants created through leaf pulling, tissue culture, or natural division. This is usually done with your “garden variety” (see what I did there) venus flytraps.
What makes these cheaper is that they are easily propagated, and they can grow quickly. A single Venus Flytrap can be divided into roughly five plants in a year.
Cultivars:
Cultivars are sold under a specific name, for example, Red Piranha, Cupped Trap, Sawtooth, B52. These usually have distinct and unique features that make them distinguishable from the big-box store Venus Flytraps.
The method of growing cultivars is only through the propagation of clones. Sometimes, they can look strange or unique. In these cases, the price for it can be higher because it becomes rarer.
Where to Sell Venus Flytraps?
While it is illegal to sell poached Venus Flytraps and dig up those that are naturally grown, there’s no law restricting garden-grown Venus Flytraps. These are commonly sold in gardens or nurseries. However, selling it in this method is only practical if you already have an existing garden or nursery.
Suppose you don’t have a garden or nursery. In that case, there’s still a way for you to sell Venus flytraps without expensive and huge nursery start-up costs, and that is to sell them on the internet. Here are some online platforms where you can sell Venus flytraps:
Amazon: Becoming an Amazon 3rd part seller is a bit of a process, and most nurseries do this in addition to their website.
We recommend these options from Amazon
Etsy: Etsy is similar to Amazon’s 3rd party program, but not as much a hassle to start.
Ebay: is probably the easiest way to start but might not generate enough traffic to make it profitable.
Wix, Shopify, or WordPress: Websites This method requires the most work but allows you the most control and to keep the most of your profit. Here is Who we use if you are interested.
How Much Can You Sell Them For?
You can sell adult typical Venus flytraps for around $10. If it is big, seed-grown, and has a nice look to it, then somebody will be willing to pay between $12 to $13 for the plant. Meanwhile, smaller Venus flytrap plants usually fetch between $5 to $8.
On the other hand, Cultivar Venus flytraps prices highly vary according to its unique characteristics. However, these are usually sold between $15 to $40 for fully-grown, healthy plants. The more unique and good-looking features it has, the more expensive it can be. The same goes with those that do not have plenty of clones since they are rarer. Today, the most expensive cultivar Venus flytrap is the DC XL which is priced at almost $50.
How to Ship Venus Flytraps?
If you are considering selling Venus Flytrap online, one of the essential things that you have to figure out is how to ship them. They must be sent securely and safely to satisfy your customer. The plant must arrive looking healthy and beautiful.
Here are some tips on how to safely ship Venus Flytraps:
Use Siphoning Tube:
Siphoning tubes are usually used for fish tanks. However, you can also use this for shipping Venus Flytraps but only for seedlings. Simply plug the plant inside, and it will have a secure layer of protection and be good to go for shipping.
Secure the Roots:
For bigger Venus Flytraps, you need to make sure that the roots are secured before shipping them. You can use a wet kitchen towel with some soil then wrap it around the root area before putting it inside a paper bag. If you think a paper bag is too flimsy, you can use a sandwich or ziplock bag instead.
Secure the Bags in The Box:
Expect that the bags inside the box will move around while on transit. This might cause the plant to bump into each other or around the walls of the box and result in some damage.
This is why you should secure the bags with the plants inside the box, especially if you are shipping multiple Venus flytraps at once. To do this, you can tape them on the box so that they don’t move around.
Use “Live Plant” Stickers:
It always helps to inform the courier that what you are shipping is live plants. This allows them to take extra precautions when handling it. You can notify them ahead of time, and you can also use stickers indicating that what’s inside the box are live plants.
Final Words
If you are interested in carnivore plants and have basic planting skills, then selling Venus flytrap might be both fun and profitable. Selling it is not as difficult as you think. It’s almost the same with any other plants out there. Plus, now is the best time to sell Venus flytrap since they are trendy and there’s a growing number of people interested in it.
