Colorado Springs man grows world’s largest Venus flytrap
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- In his greenhouse, Jeremiah Harris is in his element.
He's been interested in carnivorous plants since he was about four years old. Now, 30 years later, he's believed to operate the largest carnivorous greenhouse in Colorado. It's not his only claim to fame.
He's sold the world's most expensive carnivorous plant for $4,500 to an anonymous buyer in 2019. It was a hybrid Nepenthes pitcher plant, and Harris named it "Leviathan" after his brother, Levi.
He just set his next world record. In the 2022 Guinness Book of World Records, you'll find a big photo of Harris next to the "World's Largest Venus Flytrap" on record.
"It wasn't until the certificate actually arrived in the mail that I thought it was true," Harris said.
Harris' flytrap is probably not what immediately comes to mind if you've seen Little Shop of Horrors. His world-record flytrap is only about 6.1 centimeters in size.
Despite this win, Harris isn't done. He's going to keep growing flytraps. He's hoping to grow a 10 centimeter trap one day.
He grows about 230 different types of Venus flytraps in his three greenhouses on his parents' property in Colorado Springs.
"There's only actually one species of Venus flytrap, but over the years, people have pulled out all the little, like anomalies. So, this one maybe always stays green, it'll never get any red. Then, this one's like all red with weird teeth," Harris said.
Harris has quite the online following, garnering nearly 45,000 followers on Instagram.
For Harris though, it's not about the following or the world records.
"I'm still learning so much, like every year I'll try different things. I'll try different feeding methods, try different lights. I'll adjust when it mists and how hot I let it get, how cold I let it get," Harris said. "That challenge is definitely what kind of keeps me coming back. That's for sure."
Each year, as his plants continue to grow, so does Harris' love for the hobby.
He sells plants too, you can find his website here if you're interested.
