Do you know where Venus Flytraps are from? It’s not the jungle. Venus flytraps only occur naturally within a 75-mile radius around Wilmington, North Carolina. This area is humid with nutrient poor soil, so the plants have an adapted to get their food from somewhere else — bugs. Bug meat! These carnivorous plants were relocated here by Stanley Rehder, a local plant enthusiast who saw them being threatened by local development, so he moved some to this officially protected area, where they are thriving. There are several other carnivorous plants in this garden, like: Pitcher plants, which traps bugs in a funnel lined with hairs that make escape unlikely. Sundews, which snare bugs with their sticky hairs. And, the Venus Flytrap, which has “jaws” and big teeth that clamp down on the bug and make escape nearly impossible. There are three trichomes (hair-like spikes) that rest in the middle of the plant's mouth. These are, in effect, the Venus flytrap's triggering mechanism. Once trapped, the venus flytrap uses digestive enzymes to break down the soft tissue of the fly before absorbing it as a nutritious meal. The trap reopens a week after a catch and is ready for another, using what remains of the fly to attract new prey. Also known as Dionaea muscipula, the Venus Flytrap thrives in humid, muggy habitats. Although the plant must rely on its ability to trap and eat insects to proliferate, the Carolina Bay is an ideal environment for the plant, because the plant can survive in the swamp's nutrient poor soil. The Stanley Rehder Carnivorous Plant Garden is an ADA-accessible park and is open during daylight hours, seven days a week. The Garden is protected by a conservation easement held by the North Carolina Coastal Land Trust and is part of the Piney Ridge Nature Preserve. #carnivorousplants #carnivorousgarden #carnivorousplantsofinstagram #carnivorousplant #boggarden #insectivorousplant #weirdplants #meateatingplant #tropicalpitcherplant #carnivorousplantnerds #venusflytrap #pitcherplant #sundew #dionaeamuscipula #plantsofinstagram #carnivorousplantclub #atlasobscura #roadsideamerica #culturetrip #lostplaces #travelblogger #urbanexploration #stanleyrehder #zanelamprey