Around Wilmington, some plants bite back.

Southeastern North Carolina's wetlands are home to an unusual lineup of carnivorous plants, from sticky sundews and bug-drowning pitcher plants to the region's botanical celebrity: the Venus flytrap.

In fact, Wilmington sits at the center of the Venus flytrap's remarkably small native range. The plant naturally grows only within roughly 70-75 miles of the area in southeastern North Carolina and northeastern South Carolina.

Why here? The wet, sandy soils of the coastal plain don't offer plants much in the way of nutrients. Carnivorous plants adapted by getting some of those nutrients elsewhere – namely, from insects.

Ready to meet Wilmington's hungriest plants? Here's what to look for and where to find them.

Meet the meat-eaters

Venus flytrap | The hometown celebrity. Dionaea muscipula uses tiny trigger hairs inside its hinged leaves to detect prey. Touching the hairs in quick succession tells the trap that dinner — rather than a raindrop or piece of debris — has arrived, prompting it to snap shut. Despite their larger-than-life reputation, wild flytraps can be surprisingly tiny, so look closely.

Pitcher plants | No snapping required here. These plants grow modified leaves shaped like tall tubes or pitchers that lure insects inside. Once something slips in, getting back out is the hard part. Several species of Sarracenia grow in southeastern North Carolina, including yellow, purple, hooded, and sweet pitcher plants.

Sundews | They may look like they're sparkling, but those little droplets aren't morning dew. Sundews grow sticky glands across their leaves that attract and trap small insects. Think flypaper, but make it botanical.

Butterworts | Another member of the sticky-trap club, butterworts use slick-looking leaves coated in a sticky substance to catch tiny insects. The plant then releases digestive enzymes to get nutrients from its catch.

Bladderworts | Don't forget to look in the water. These aquatic carnivores use tiny underwater bladder-shaped traps to capture microscopic prey. When something triggers the trap, it can suck its meal inside.

A Pitcher Plant in Wilmington, North Carolina. — Pitcher plants lure insects into their tube-shaped leaves, where slippery walls make escape tricky. | Photo by Jodie LaPoint

Where to see carnivorous plants around Wilmington

Stanley Rehder Carnivorous Plant Garden | 3800 Canterbury Rd.
You don’t have to leave Wilmington city limits to go flytrap hunting. Part of Piney Ridge Nature Preserve, this public garden is home to native Venus flytraps, pitcher plants, sundews, and other carnivorous flora. Follow the walking trail and observation decks, using the interpretive signs to help identify what’s growing around you. The garden is ADA accessible and open year-round during daylight hours. Pro tip: Spring is prime time for blooms, with Venus flytraps typically flowering in May and June.

Carolina Beach State Park | 1010 State Park Rd., Carolina Beach
For the wild version, head ~12 miles south of Wilmington. The park is home to all five of our featured carnivores: Venus flytraps, pitcher plants, sundews, butterworts, and bladderworts. Take the wheelchair-accessible, 0.5-mile Flytrap Trail through pocosin wetlands and longleaf pine habitat, keeping your eyes peeled for tiny flytraps along the edges. And stay on the trail — besides protecting the plants from trampling, it'll lower your chances of running into ticks, venomous snakes, and poisonous plants. Consider us convinced.

Green Swamp Preserve | 673 Green Swamp Rd. NW, Supply
Ready to level up your carnivorous plant hunt? Head into Brunswick County to explore this 17,424-acre Nature Conservancy preserve, where Venus flytraps grow alongside pitcher plants, sundews, and other carnivorous species. Follow the 1.3-mile round-trip trail through longleaf pine savanna, where flytraps can grow right along the trail's edge. The preserve is free to visit and open daily from dawn to dusk — just bring sturdy shoes and stay on the marked trail.

Look, but don't touch

We get it. A tiny plant that eats bugs practically begs to be poked. Resist the urge.

Venus flytraps are vulnerable to habitat loss, trampling, and illegal collecting. North Carolina law makes stealing a Venus flytrap or its seeds from another person's land or public property a Class H felony.

The easiest rule to remember: Take photos, not plants, and stay on marked trails and boardwalks. Even stepping just off the path can damage the small plants growing around you.

And repeatedly making a flytrap snap shut isn't great for the plant, either. Closing its trap uses energy, so save the demonstration for an actual bug.

Sundews are a carnivorous plant in Wilmington, North Carolina. — Sundews use glistening, glue-like droplets on their leaves to trap tiny insects. | Photo by Ansel Bubel

Want one of your own?

No felony required.

Legally propagated Venus flytraps and other carnivorous plants are sold by nurseries, and Wilmington's tourism office lists The Plant Place, New Roots Nursery, and The Plant Outpost among local places to check. Call ahead since availability can change seasonally.

If you bring one home, remember where it came from. Flytraps evolved in sunny, wet, nutrient-poor environments, meaning standard potting soil and mineral-heavy tap water aren't their friends. Rainwater or distilled water, plenty of sunlight, and the right low-nutrient growing medium will make your new meat-eating roommate much happier. Just leave the hamburger in the fridge.