North Carolina Wildflowers

Dionaeaceae

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.

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.