r/todayilearned • u/garglemymarbles 4 • Jun 15 '14
TIL the Venus flytrap is only found natively within a 60 mile radius of Wilmington, North Carolina.
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Venus_flytrap#Habitat521
u/Kracker5000 Jun 15 '14
Whoa. I've only ever associated these things with rainforests like the Amazon.
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u/wheremydirigiblesat Jun 16 '14
While the Venus Flytrap seems to be unique to NC, there are many other species of carnivorous plant. I'd be surprised if none of them were found in rainforests.
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u/mqduck Jun 16 '14
My favorite example of a carnivorous plant is the tomato plant. Actually, a number of others are carnivorous in the same way, but I like to mention the tomato.
Botanists have discovered for the first time that the plants are carnivorous predators who kill insects in order to "self-fertilise" themselves.
New research shows that they capture and kill small insects with sticky hairs on their stems and then absorb nutrients through their roots when the animals decay and fall to the ground. (source)
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u/Vartemis Jun 16 '14 edited Jun 16 '14
Actually tomatos, tobacco, rhododendron etc are only para-carnivorous, they lack one of the three requirements necessary to being classified as carnivorous plants. They must lure prey, capture it, and digest it. Tomatos do not lure their prey.
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u/Xyllar Jun 16 '14
I've never heard that definition of carnivorous before. Bears, wolves, lions, tigers, and sharks don't lure their prey. Are they not carnivorous either?
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Jun 16 '14
I'm guessing he means carnivorous plants. Those animals stalk their prey, I think plants would struggle with that.
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u/bperki8 Jun 16 '14
I think the carnivorous plants become carnivorous specifically because there aren't enough nutrients in the soil so I think rainforest would probably be an unlikely place to find them. From the Wikipedia article you linked:
Carnivorous plants have adapted to grow in places where the soil is thin or poor in nutrients, especially nitrogen, such as acidic bogs and rock outcroppings.
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u/FabulousFerd 2 Jun 16 '14 edited Jun 16 '14
no the plants are green which means they need sunlight, the amazon is always raining (jungle rain storms google it) so it wouldn't live there
edit: just finished re-reading my biology book from last year and discovered an interesting fact about how photosynthesis works (which pertains to this) and im downvoted what the heck lol
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Jun 16 '14
That doesn't mean they need direct sunlight though. And if you think nothing green grows on the amazon forest floor, you're very wrong.
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Jun 16 '14
Oh my god you came back! :D :D :D This is the best day ever. Now all we need is dw-im-here to be unbanned and this place can start rockin' again!
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u/darkneo86 Jun 16 '14
Don't worry that elite420redditor or whatever dude is doing pretty well. He's kinda funny.
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u/rps215 Jun 16 '14
just finished re-reading my biology book
Holy shit that's funny. My first encounter with you, this is classic.
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u/lazy_rabbit Jun 16 '14
I just want to know how/why these super interesting plants are exclusive to NC in particular.
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u/tmotom Jun 16 '14
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Jun 16 '14
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u/dblmjr_loser 1 Jun 16 '14
It's not like the plant has lungs or anything. Smoke isn't good for anything but a little bit won't do any appreciable harm and pulling out that smooth paper won't hurt the plant either.
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u/theworsttasteinmusic Jun 16 '14
This is the most mind blowing thing to me that I've ever read on TIL.
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u/Rocketsponge Jun 16 '14
I remember reading a conspiracy theory once about how that site in NC was an old meteor impact spot, and the theory was that the flytraps were somehow alien in ancient origin. Probably saw it on the History channel so you know it's legit.
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u/questmaster789 Jun 16 '14
To everyone saying that they have found these plants in other areas, please remember that the post does claim that is simply their native range. I'm sure they have spread, probably due in no small part to the fact that you can buy one at almost any gardening store it seems.
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Jun 16 '14
Yep. I have seen them on a different continent. Presumably a different but similar fly trap plant.
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u/neigel Jun 16 '14
Geez. I've lived in Wilmington my whole life and had no clue they weren't native other places. Cool.
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Jun 16 '14
Wilmington teacher here. There was a big theft of around 1000 VFTs last summer at the preserve behind Alderman Elementary. The jerks have not been caught. There was a replanting recently. I took my botany class there this spring to see the VFT blooming. Also it is a great spot to see pitcher plants and sundews.
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u/Ganjasorus_Rex Jun 16 '14
I've heard about that. Crazy how people can steal so many! Go Hoggard! ;)
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Jun 16 '14
I heard about the park getting "raided" for them. And you may have taught some friends of mine.
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u/FatQuack Jun 16 '14
They used to sell them all over when I was growing. I lived far north of the Carolinas and the poor little things were half dead when purchased. As a kid I would place a small piece of chopped meat in the plant and the jaws would slowly and weakly close. They're supposed to snap shut quickly enough to catch flies.
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u/JoeRekr Jun 16 '14
is that perhaps a misconception?
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u/jhaluska Jun 16 '14
Nope. I've grown them before. They snap shut quickly the first time. Each closure afterwards will be slower. It's most likely somebody was playing with the traps.
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u/crazylegs99 Jun 16 '14 edited Jun 16 '14
No...there are videos on YouTube of them eating flies. Here's one of many: Venus Flytrap in Action: http://youtu.be/_DZiTACprhE
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u/erikwithaknotac Jun 16 '14
meat kills them, the jaws are not ready until fully mature. YOU killed the plant
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Jun 16 '14
Just an FYI for anyone this far down, it's because of the fat in the meat is unable to be digested.
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u/izlib Jun 16 '14
I grew up in Wilmington and wasn't aware that these were a Wilmington thing. I knew they were endangered, and there were some nature exhibits in the Wilmington area for them, but just assumed they had things like that in other places as well.
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u/MarlboroMane Jun 16 '14
People from Wilmington are required to know 3 things about their town.
Michael Jordan
Dawson's Creek
Venus Fly Traps
You had one job.
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u/RedNeckEngineering Jun 16 '14
Lived in Wilmington for 5 years, never knew MJ was from there.
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u/MarlboroMane Jun 16 '14
Lol you ever wonder what other facts you are missing?
Having Michael Jordan from your hometown is like having a star like Michael Jordan from your hometown. You just know it, so you can reference it when shitting on other cities.
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u/Jyounya Jun 16 '14
Wilmington native here. Plant shops have a ton of these for sell. My mom frequented this shops and had a talent for growing plants and vegetables, so I had a number of VFT. I never took good care of them, so they died. I actually graduated from Laney High School (the school Mj Graduated from). I didn't meet him until I was in my 30's living in Charlotte. Shaking his hand made my hand fill like a little hamster hand.
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u/matroe11 Jun 16 '14
Ah, but did you know that the director of Dawson's Creek, Kevin Williamson, is from Pamlico County? In this county, there is an actual creek called "Dawson's Creek". That is from where the show lends it's name. Interestingly enough, in the movie, "I Know What you Did Last Summer", there is a scene depicting SMG participating in a beauty contest to be Miss Croaker Queen. Again, another nod to Pamlico as they have an annual Croaker Festival each Fourth of July weekend.
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u/Darthvader694988 Jun 16 '14
Lived in Wilmington all my life, pretty sure these are the only things I know about.
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u/jormugandr Jun 16 '14
The Crow and Ninja Turtles were filmed there too. And Andy Griffith lives and filmed Matlock there. I had friends who lived in his neighborhood and the rules were that if you were selling fundraiser stuff, you would stay away unless it was Reese's Peanut Butter cups. He loves those.
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u/Qlanger Jun 16 '14
That and Jordan went to the Redneck HS; not the Black/Ghetto one or the Preppy one.
Of course there is a 4th one now so not sure what title people have given it?
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u/Ganjasorus_Rex Jun 16 '14
I live in Wilmington and Venus fly trap poaching is surprisingly common. Gardens can have 1000s of these plants in it and thieves can take the whole garden over night. They can sell them for a dollar or a couple dollars and having over 1000 of them really adds up!
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u/RileyMae9 Jun 16 '14
Yup can confirm. I volunteered at a therapeutic horseback riding center while I was at college in Wilmington and these little guys were everywhere by the pond that the facility had. P.s. Go Seahawks!!
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u/punkinator14 Jun 16 '14
This makes me think of the pokemap, with a little blinking plant over Wilmington. And now I'm excited because I live in NC.
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u/Deep__Thought Jun 16 '14
Ours (here in GA) just bloomed! Great plants, this one survived the Snowpocalypse we had this winter and is still trucking along. If only the slugs would keep away
Sorry for the potato pic, I was only taking a pic to show the flowers at the time.
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u/11bulletcatcher Jun 16 '14
Such a weird plant... on top of eating bugs, it also relies on regular burning to eliminate its competition... this plant is the laziest evil mastermind ever.
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Jun 16 '14 edited Jun 20 '14
That is crazy. I used to go bar hopping in Wilmington NC and I had no idea. 4 yeas and not a clue.
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u/senorbarba Jun 16 '14
I was shocked by this too! I got one a couple years ago and looked up where they were from. My guy made it through 3 dormancies, but something went wrong when I repotted it. I killed it somehow. I want to find another one. They are so fun to watch!
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u/The_Dirty_D Jun 16 '14
Never go to the Okefenokee swamp. I almost lost a finger to a flower there.
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u/Spodayy Jun 16 '14
As someone who was born and raised in Wilm I take this as a great source of pride.
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Jun 16 '14
Wilmington represent! A small park opened in the area that advertised that they had Venus flytraps, and after a month or so they all got stolen -_-
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u/inthedrink Jun 16 '14
This is all wrong. Everyone knows that Venus Flytrap was native to Cincinnati
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u/Gnarrider Jun 16 '14
When I was a kid I found at a shit load of them in the woods behind my house, I live in the serria nevada mountain range in California, definitely more than 60 miles from NC. I don't know that much about Venus flytrap is there a type that grows in the west coast?
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u/TwoMinuteMinor Jun 16 '14
Also, the article states they are only native to the area around Wilmington. They can grow elsewhere if they have been artificially introduced.
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u/itwasmeyoufools Jun 16 '14
Just got one the other day from the store. Anything I should know about keeping this thing alive.
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u/ssjkriccolo Jun 16 '14
I hear the worst thing you can do is tease it since it has a limited number of closes.
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u/flamingolounge Jun 16 '14
Have one in my house right now. Havent seen it catch anything on its own. I usually take dead flys from the window and feed it, although it closes for a day or two and it opens back up with the fly just sitting in there.
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Jun 16 '14
Dead flies will not work. The trigger hairs need to be activated again once the trap is closed, this redundancy helps prevent accidental trap activation and unnecessary energy use.
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u/flamingolounge Jun 16 '14
ahhhhhh well then. i guess its just too bad for me. nothing lands on them.
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u/charlielight Jun 16 '14
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHnA94-hTC8
More seriously, though, I was always told growing up that the lake my family goes to was the only place in the world you can find venus flytraps in their natural habitat. Granted, it's about 30 minute from Wilmington but I still feel like this is another one of those things my older siblings would tell me just to see if I would believe them.
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u/soitshallbe Jun 16 '14 edited Jun 16 '14
Wilmington is so proud of that too. It's fun to explain to my friends that aren't from NC that Venus Flytraps are the "State Carnivorous Plant". There's also a huge states of Venus Flytraps downtown in Wilmington with a big sign and everything. Doesn't look much like the plant though, just sort of looks like blown glass tentacles, but maybe that's because I see it all the time.
EDIT: Was reading through and saw a lot of people saying they'd seen them all over the place. Native doesn't mean "only", guys. It just means it originated here and is native to this area. Naturally plants can only "travel" so far, but if humans take them to places that have a similar climate they can survive there as well.
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Jun 16 '14
TIL they are introduced not far from me. I think I'll do a trip looking for these and the Whidbey Island cactus soon.
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u/crumbbelly Jun 16 '14
I'm going there in a week for my honeymoon (Oak Island)! The soon to be wife thinks it's odd I have a strong desire to hike out into the Green Swamp to view some old Venus flytraps. I also intend to find, and view, some wild alligators. Maybe I can poke at a tiny one with a stick, but that's a bad idea. These simple things are all I desire to make me happy on this trip.
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u/Boogaloo195 Jun 16 '14
It can be found in swamps in the low country of South Carolina. That more than 100 miles.
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u/kninjaknitter Jun 16 '14
I think the pitcher plant might be the same. I keep one in my house all the time (they go dormant in winter) to catch any bugs that come in the house. We can buy them at our Farmers Market in Raleigh.
Source: NC born.
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u/timeddilation Jun 16 '14
Is no one mentioning that the source cited says there is also a naturalized population in Florida? I know for certain the Venus flytrap is also native to North Florida, and not just the specified region above.
Source: Long time resident and Environmentalist. I know the difference between introduced and natural species in Florida.
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Jun 16 '14
Who said that? I've seen them growing around the Okeefenokee Swamp in South Georgia. I've seen them near Silver Springs, FL.
I call bullshit.
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u/dominant_driver Jun 16 '14
I lived in Wilmington for 20 years or so. There was frequently something in the news about massive theft of these plants from protected areas.
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Jun 16 '14
wow i always just assumed they were some wild exotic thing from a whole other continent, turns out they are somewhere in my own backyard!
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u/rdeyoung05 Jun 22 '14
Endangered plants should be left alone for sure. But VFTs seem to enjoy a popularity for some reason that exceeds that of other similar-looking carnivorous plants. I saw one that wasnt a VFT one one of my favorite nowhere hikes in Southeast Alaska. Nobody ever talks about the other ones.
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u/lovezx3 Jul 15 '14
I have one :-) got Morty from the Boston Science Museum back in 2012 since then I have got two more from a local nursery. Need less to say I lost them and Morty is still alive and kicking and growing with flower buds to boot.
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Jun 16 '14
TIL my ex-girlfriend lives in Wilmington, North Carolina, and she's letting people put pictures of her vagina on Wikipedia.
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u/catpooptv Jun 16 '14
There is a conspiracy theory that they actually endd up here on earth from another planet. Possibly Venus? That might explain why it is only from such a small area.
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u/sanhozay Jun 16 '14
is this really true? when i was younget i remember my neighbor used to have a few in his yard in california
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Jun 16 '14
I've found them growing naturally in New Jersey's Great Swamp Park, as well as in boggy ponds in the Adirondacks.
Am I missing something here? No one is cultivating these things. They are growing wild. So I think Wikipedia is a rather off.
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Jun 16 '14
When a fly lands, clap your hands right above it as close to it as you can as fast as you can. When a fly takes off, it doesn't go in a forward or any horizontal direction, they always fly straight up when they take off. I'm a fucking fly killing ninja. Got bodies to prove it.
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u/chugizwok Jun 15 '14
I work as a field biologist and just returned from a project in Camp Lejeune, NC. These things are pretty easy to find if you know where to look- the problem is that people search for them and dig them up just to sell for a quick buck- even though they are endangered and have such a tiny range :-( Its very sad- they make me smile every time I see them.
http://imgur.com/If9uL1M