91.5 Chapel Hill 88.9 Manteo 90.9 Rocky Mount 91.1 Welcome 91.9 Fayetteville 90.5 Buxton 94.1 Lumberton 99.9 Southern Pines 89.9 Chadbourn

North Carolina Enacts Venus Flytrap Theft Laws: How Big Is The Problem, Really?

David McAdoo

Did you know that picking a Venus Flytrap in North Carolina can now land you two years in prison? The law, enacted earlier this week,  is meant to protect the Venus Flytrap, a rare carnivorous plant that only grows in the wild in swamps near Wilmington.

It's estimated that there are only 35,000 plants remaining in the wild. The plant's numbers have dwindled in part because of people stealing them from protected lands.

One of WUNC's staff members, Eric Mennel, explored the Venus Flytrap poaching problem for his independent podcast Criminal. He reports that for the last few years tens of thousands of Venus Flytraps have simply gone missing every year.

"What’s cropped up in rural North Carolina is essentially a Venus Flytrap crime ring — with lackies, middle men, and a mysterious end buyer who’s perpetuating the market." Listen:

A new law has now been enacted to try and curb Venus Flytrap poaching.  Offenders can receive two years in jail, and can be fined per plant.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
Carol Jackson has been with WUNC since 2006. As Digital News Editor, she writes stories for wunc.org, and helps reporters and hosts make digital versions of their radio stories. She is also responsible for sharing stories on social media. Previously, Carol spent eight years with WUNC's nationally syndicated show The Story with Dick Gordon, serving as Managing Editor and Interim Senior Producer.
Related Stories
  1. Poaching A Venus Flytrap In North Carolina Could Now Get You Two Years In Prison
  2. Two Surprising Solutions For The Backlog At The NC State Crime Lab
More Stories
  1. ShotSpotter won't return to Durham after City Council vote
  2. Vehicle thefts, break-ins continue to rise across the Triangle
  3. The State Crime Laboratory in Raleigh officially opens two renovated sections
  4. The unsolved killing of a Fort Bragg soldier has led to an effort to reform Army investigations
  5. 2nd man charged with murder in North Carolina deputy's shooting