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Arboretum showcases carnivorous plants

Visitors will have the opportunity to explore the fascinating and complex world of carnivorous plants when the North Carolina Arboretum’s newest exhibit, Savage Gardens, opens on Saturday.


Running through Sept. 7, the exhibit will offer both real and interpretive examples of carnivorous plants, including the infamous Venus flytrap and the American Pitcher Plant. The nationally known traveling exhibit was developed and created by Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens and Tork Inc.
Combining science, botany and hands-on activity, Savage Gardens demonstrates the many wonders of carnivorous plants and how they lure, catch, kill and digest insects as part of their feeding process. The American Pitcher Plant, for example, offers a narcotic nectar causing intoxicated patrons to take a clumsy tumble into a pool of digestive enzymes. The similar approach of some larger varieties of the Tropical Pitcher Plant (Nepenthes) has been known to even capture small mammals.
Carnivorous plants may seem exotic, but many of them, including the Venus flytrap, are native to North America. Unfortunately, more than 95 percent of the original carnivorous plant habitats along the coastal plain have been destroyed. Savage Gardens provides an opportunity to educate visitors about these unique plants and ways to contribute to their conservation.
The Arboretum will also have live carnivorous plants on-site in its Baker Exhibit Center Greenhouse. Venus flytrap plants will also be available for purchase at the Arboretum’s Connections Gallery gift shop. The indoor exhibit will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Baker Exhibit Center. Its outdoor components will be located on the upper-level grounds outside of the Exhibit Center during regular visiting hours. For more information, visit www.ncarboretum.org.