Snap! Venus fly trap fans ask South Carolina to honor plant
Conservationists want South Carolina to make the Venus fly trap the state’s official carnivorous plant
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Conservationists are pushing for the Venus fly trap to be South Carolina's official carnivorous plant, joining other official items such as the state bird (Carolina Wren), state opera (Porgy and Bess) and the state snack (boiled peanuts).
But supporters said honoring the Venus fly trap isn't about one extra thing students see on an elementary school worksheet.
Instead, it's about protecting and increasing awareness of an interesting species found only in this spot on the globe: the upper part of the South Carolina coast and a small sliver of southeast North Carolina.
“In a state as small as ours that is growing every day, we have to protect the things that belong here,” said South Carolina Sen. Thomas McElveen, who lead a subcommittee Tuesday that voted to advance a bill to elevate the status of the carnivorous plant.
