Dionaea muscipula - Red Dragon

Dionaea muscipula ‘Red Dragon’ (also marketed as ‘Akai Ryu’)

Cultivar name: Dionaea muscipula ‘Red Dragon’ (synonym: ‘Akai Ryu’) — registered by R. Gagliardo in 1998. cpnames.carnivorousplants.org+2cpukforum.com+2
Species: Dionaea muscipula (common Venus fly-trap)

Key Features

• Colouration: The plant develops deep burgundy / dark-red traps and petioles when grown under strong light. Mature plants may show a green margin around the trap lobes, but most of the surface becomes red to maroon. Cedar Bridge Botanicals+2growcarnivorousplants.com+2

• Size: Grows to a rosette about 4 inches tall (≈10 cm) under outdoor container conditions. growcarnivorousplants.com+1

• Growing habit: Similar to typical D. muscipula but emphasises red colour rather than size dominance (unlike some giant cultivars).

• Cultivar status: Registered cultivar; appears in cultivar lists under D. muscipula ‘Akai Ryu’, with synonym ‘Red Dragon’. cpnames.carnivorousplants.org+1

Why it’s Popular

• Visual appeal: The intense red colouration makes it highly desirable for collectors and display-plants.

• Marketing value: As a specialty carnivorous‐plant cultivar, it can command a premium in niche markets (relevant for your tissue culture sales).

• Clonal consistency: Being a named cultivar, you can maintain fidelity when producing via tissue culture or division.

Ideal Growing Conditions

• Light: Very high light is required to develop the full red coloration. Outdoor full sun or strong artificial lighting is ideal. Juveniles or low-light plants may remain partially green. CarnivorousPlants.com+1

• Substrate & Water: Use nutrient-poor, acidic medium (e.g., sphagnum peat moss + perlite or sand). Use rainwater, distilled or reverse-osmosis water (low mineral content). Avoid tap water with high TDS. growcarnivorousplants.com+1

• Temperature / Humidity: It’s a temperate bog species; summer conditions should avoid excessive heat (and root disturbance). This cultivar dislikes root stress and excessive heat. growcarnivorousplants.com

• Dormancy: As with all D. muscipula, a cool winter dormancy is required for long-term health. In dormancy the plant may drop all leaves. growcarnivorousplants.com+1

Suitability & Use-case (for your tissue-culture / commercial setting)

• Good candidate as a premium cultivar line: the strong red colour and collector appeal suit an elevated product tier.

• Tissue culture production must preserve clonal identity; ensure correct cultivar labelling and propagation fidelity.

• Because it is somewhat more “temperamental” (less tolerant of root disturbance or heat) compared to more robust cultivars, it may require better culture / acclimation protocols — factor this into production workflows.

• If you are propagating this cultivar for sale under your brand (e.g., via your portals carnivorousplants.in / tcplants.in), you can emphasise the “all-red showy cultivar” aspect in marketing to hobbyist and collector markets.

Important Notes & Considerations

• Authenticity matters: Some plants marketed as ‘Red Dragon’ may not be true clones — verify source. cpukforum.com+1

• Colour attainment is condition-dependent: Without high light or with improper growing substrate/water, the red may not develop fully.

• Because it is less tolerant of root disturbance, your in-vitro to ex-vitro transition (acclimation) deserves extra care (especially relevant given your tissue culture expertise).

• Given your preference to avoid PPM etc in sterilisation of cultures (for other work), ensure that your propagation workflow for this cultivar still meets sterility and fidelity standards.