Venus flytrap will not be listed as threatened or endangered
A Venus flytrap plant displays deep red traps. Dale Suiter photo
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has decided not to pursue listing the Venus flytrap as a threatened or endangered species after an evaluation determined that, due to current protections and active management, populations are likely to remain stable into the future.
The Venus flytrap, which is designated as North Carolina’s state carnivorous plant, grows in longleaf pine wetlands in the coastal plain and sandhills of southeastern North Carolina and northeastern South Carolina. It is listed as a state threatened species in North Carolina and its populations are protected. Poaching is a felony.
The FWS found that 98% of known plants occur in healthy populations, with two-thirds of all known plants occurring in the three largest populations. Land protection, management with prescribed fire, voluntary conservation partnerships and working with private landowners to help them manage their land are all conservation tools used to protect the Venus flytrap.
Supporting information for the decision can be found at regulations.gov under docket number FWS-R4-ES-2023-0041.
