[PCA] Buyer beware: Do not buy poached Venus flytrap plants

[De Angelis, Patricia]

Did you know that the Venus flytrap is found in nature only in the United States?! In fact, it is endemic only to North and South Carolina!

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Southeast Region recently shared the following information to help buyers identify plants grown legally in a nursery and showing how to tell them apart from poached Venus flytraps.

Lilibeth Serrano, public affairs specialist
June 17, 2020

Venus flytrap is North Carolina’s official carnivorous plant. Throughout the world, it is recognized as an iconic insect-eating plant and is a popular potted plant that has captured our imaginations.

The Venus flytrap is endemic to North and South Carolina, but it has been introduced to a few other states. Unfortunately, in the wild, populations continue to decline. The North Carolina Plant Conservation Program lists the Venus flytrap as a species of Special Concern-Vulnerable in North Carolina, and poaching of this plant became a felony in 2014. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service promotes Venus flytrap research and is evaluating a petition to list the plant as an endangered or threatened plant under the Endangered Species Act.

Populations are in decline primarily due to habitat loss and fire suppression. Regular fires minimize shrub and tree encroachment and maintain optimal habitat conditions for the Venus flytrap. Poaching is also a serious threat to the Venus plant and increased incidents of theft have been prosecuted in recent years.

Learn more about the impact of poaching and what you can do to help this iconic U.S. endemic species, at: https://www.fws.gov/southeast/articles/buyer-beware-do-not-buy-poached-venus-flytrap-plants/

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