ExplorePlants

Drosera

Drosera, also known as sundews, are fascinating plants that catch insects with sticky, dew-covered tentacles. They thrive in wetlands and have beautiful, glistening leaves that attract curious insects.

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Drosera is a small, ground-hugging plant, often forming rosettes or upright stems covered in shimmering, red-tipped tentacles. These sticky 'sundew' tentacles sparkle with a clear, sugary fluid that makes the plant look covered in morning dew, attracting unsuspecting insects. Its delicate flowers can be white, pink, or purple.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderCaryophyllalesFamilyDroseraceaeGenusDrosera

Drosera

Interesting facts

Drosera are found on every continent except Antarctica!

One species, Drosera regia, can grow over two feet tall!

Some Drosera grow underground tubers to survive harsh fires!

The sticky 'dew' is so strong, it can even trap small moths!

Special abilities

Drosera has special glands that produce a super-sticky mucilage to trap insects for food, helping it survive in poor soils.

Some Drosera can slowly move their tentacles and leaves to curl around struggling prey, ensuring a tight grip.

Drosera produces special enzymes to break down captured insects, absorbing vital nutrients like nitrogen from their prey.

Measurements & details

Height: 5-30 cm
Spread: 5-20 cm
Flower Size: 0.5-2 cm
Bloom Season: Spring_to_summer
Edible: No
Toxicity: None
Lifecycle: Perennial
Pollination Method: Insect

Ecological connections

eaten by

fruit fly

Drosophila melanogaster

A common prey insect.

pollinates

honeybee

Apis mellifera

Visiting flowers for nectar.

eaten by

red wood ant

Formica rufa

Often gets trapped on leaves.

depends on

red bog moss

Sphagnum capillifolium

Thrives in acid bog environments.

Traits

Deciduous

Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons.

Night Blooming

Night blooming plants open their flowers after sunset, often to attract nocturnal pollinators with their scent and appearance.

Carnivorous Plant

Carnivorous plants are predatory flowering plants that derive some or most of their nutrients from trapping and consuming animals or protozoans.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.