Don’t be deceived like the spider and the ant: This plant is a predator, designed to kill. Drawn by glistening nectar glands, an insect touches off trigger-like plant hairs rooted in a hinged leaf blade. There’s no escape: Electricity pulses through the plant at four inches per second. Special cells react, tripping the leaf trap that can snap shut in less than one-tenth of a second. If that weren’t horrifying enough, the Venus flytrap then begins its denouement: Digesting its prey with specialized enzymes. Stewed bug, served cold. Yummy.
Venus flytraps love the Carolinas: The carnivorous plants grow natively in the coastal bogs around Wilmington.
For 127 years, this Wilson County store has been keeping its community well supplied — by relying on people just as much as what’s on the shelves.
In art class, we learn to notice texture, form, color, and light. On the plate, those same techniques guide chefs, bakers, and makers across North Carolina, turning ingredients into compositions meant to be admired before they’re savored.
A full tray, an ice-cold sweet tea, and a midday break bring us back to our days at the K&W Cafeteria.
Explore hidden gardens and tasty places to eat and drink in Charlotte’s historic neighborhood.
