Venus flytraps snap shut via outer-wall softening, not hydraulics
Researchers reveal Venus flytraps close through a two-stage process: an active bending phase driven by softening of the outer leaf walls (reducing rigidity by ~40%), then a rapid 0.2-second snap. This mechanism, not hydraulic water movement, explains the trap’s speed and was confirmed by tests that slowed bending when traps were cut and by force measurements showing no slow wave of motion across the trap. The finding highlights dynamic tuning of plant material properties and suggests principles for muscle-free, bioinspired actuation.