North Carolina Wildflowers

by Jeffrey S. Pippen | Back to Jeff's Plant Page | Jeff's Nature Pages


Dionaeaceae > Dionaea (flytrap)

Venus Flytrap (Dionea muscipula) Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)
Pender Co., NC
23 Apr 2006

Probably the most famous of all carnivorous plants, the Venus Flytrap is endemic to the Carolinas and is a federally protected plant. Fortunately it is easily propogated so that poaching and harvesting from the wild is unnecessary.

Venus Flytrap (Dionea muscipula) Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)
Pender Co., NC
23 Apr 2006

Unsuspecting insects or other arthropods crawl through a trap, essentially tripping a trigger hair, which causes the trap to close around the victim. Digestive enzymes are then secreted, allowing the plant to absorb nutrients like proteins for growth.

Venus Flytrap (Dionea muscipula) Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)
Pender Co., NC
23 Apr 2006

Native American's referred to this plant by the name Tippitiwitchet.

Venus Flytrap (Dionea muscipula) Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)
Brunswick Co., NC
18 May 2008
Venus Flytrap (Dionea muscipula) Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)
Brunswick Co., NC
18 May 2008

Flower buds

Venus Flytrap (Dionea muscipula) Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)
Brunswick Co., NC
4 Oct 2008
Venus Flytrap (Dionea muscipula) Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)
Brunswick Co., NC
4 Oct 2008
Venus Flytrap (Dionea muscipula) Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)
Pender Co., NC
13 Sep 2009
Venus Flytrap (Dionea muscipula) Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)
Pender Co., NC
13 Sep 2009
Venus Flytrap (Dionea muscipula) Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)
Pender Co., NC
13 Sep 2009
Venus Flytrap (Dionea muscipula) Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)
Pender Co., NC
13 Sep 2009
Venus Flytrap (Dionea muscipula) Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)
Pender Co., NC
13 Sep 2009
Venus Flytrap (Dionea muscipula) Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)
Pender Co., NC
13 Sep 2009
Venus Flytrap (Dionea muscipula) Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)
Pender Co., NC
4 Oct 2018

The remains of a small grasshopper or something appear to be inside this trap.

Venus Flytrap (Dionea muscipula) Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)
Brunswick Co., NC
27 June 2010

Flowers usually appear in late May through June.

Venus Flytrap (Dionea muscipula) Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)
Brunswick Co., NC
27 June 2010

Annotated habitat and distribution information listed above is from Radford, Ahles, & Bell. 1968. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. UNC Press; and from personal observations and discussions with Will Cook, Harry LeGrand, and Bob Wilbur. Common names from personal experience and supplemented by the following resources USDA plants website, Flora of the Carolinas, Virginia, and Georgia, and NatureServe.


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Created on ... May 7, 2006 | jeffpippen9@gmail.com