The Venus fly trap is surely one of the world's . But people grow it not because of what it looks like but because of what it does: It eats flies. This fact makes it one of the most , especially for children, who may watch it for hours as it "dines." A carnivorous plant of the Droseraceae family, Venus fly trap is not hard to grow, but it does need different conditions than do the more familiar houseplants. The "trap" of a Venus fly trap is actually a modified leaf. A plant can have as many as eight of them.

Each trap consists of two lip-like lobes united by a hinge. Nectar within the trap is the bait that draws an insect in to its death. Once inside, if the insect makes contact with one of the trigger hairs, the trap is sprung: It closes, shutting up the prey inside. The insect is digested via enzymes within 4 to 10 days. After digestion, the "jaws" reopen.