Goddess on the Mountain Top
The Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) occurs naturally only within a 100 mile radius of Wilmington, North Carolina. Which is wonderful boasting rights for our state, but that limited range of distribution has put the little meat eater in danger. The Venus flytrap is federally listed as a species of special concern, which means it’s almost on the endangered species list. People are so fascinated by the unique attribute of these plants—that they’re carnivorous—that they’re over-harvesting or outright poaching them.
Fortunately, The Nature Conservancy has started a Venus Flytrap Monitoring Project in all of its preserves, but especially in the Green Swamp Preserve in hopes that vigilant monitoring will impede poachers from taking these plants from their native habitat.
The digestive process of the Venus flytrap is truly amazing. The leaves of the plant are covered with tiny little hairs called cilia, and when something like a fly or small slug touches the sensitive cilia, the flytrap snaps shut, capturing its prey. The trap constricts tightly around the insect and secretes digestive juices that work to dissolve the soft, inner parts of the insect. The exoskeleton is not digested and later falls away from the trap. This process can take as long as two weeks. If something enters the trap that isn’t food—the tip of a human’s probing finger, for example—it can take about twelve hours for the plant to reopen. Also, if something larger than the trap itself gets caught, the sticking out pieces attract bacteria, which will seep into the trap. Eventually setbacks like this can cause the trap to turn black, rot and fall off.
If you are interested in seeing a Venus flytrap live and up close but don’t feel like making the trek out to the Green Swamp, visit some local gardens where carnivorous plants are a special feature such as Airlie Gardens, Halyburton, and Carolina Beach State Park
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