11. It’s Alive!

The Venus Flytrap, a fascinating and carnivorous plant, calls the United States its native home, with a very specific and limited natural habitat centered around the Wilmington, North Carolina area and extending into a few coastal regions of South and North Carolina.

This unique botanical specimen thrives in the wet, nitrogen-poor soils of subtropical wetlands, where it has developed a remarkable mechanism for capturing and digesting insects to supplement its nutrient intake. The Venus Flytrap’s highly specialized leaves, which snap shut when triggered by the unsuspecting prey, have captivated the imagination of botanists and enthusiasts alike.