Pink Sundew

drosera capillaris

The Pink Sundew (Drosera capillaris) is a fascinating miniature carnivorous plant that adds a touch of deadly beauty to acidic bogs and wet pine flatwoods. Known for its glittering, dew-covered leaves, this species belongs to a remarkable group of plants that have adapted to nutrient-poor soils by turning the tables on the animal kingdom. Rather than relying solely on the soil for sustenance, the Pink Sundew supplements its diet by trapping and digesting tiny insects. Despite its small stature—often no larger than a coin—it is a formidable predator in the micro-world. When sunlight catches the sticky mucilage on its leaves, the plant sparkles like a tiny jewel, luring unsuspecting gnats and flies to their doom. This delicate balance of visual allure and lethal efficiency makes the Pink Sundew a captivating subject for botanists and nature enthusiasts alike.

Habitat: Typically found in highly acidic, nutrient-poor wetland environments such as peat bogs, wet pine flatwoods, and damp sandy savannas.

Appearance

The Pink Sundew forms a flat, ground-hugging basal rosette of small, spatulate (spoon-shaped) leaves, typically measuring only 2 to 4 centimeters in diameter. Its leaves range in color from pale lime green to deep crimson depending on their exposure to direct sunlight. The leaf blades are densely covered with hair-like red tentacles, each tipped with a glistening droplet of clear-to-pink sticky mucilage. During its blooming season, it produces a tall, slender flower stalk that rises several centimeters above the sticky leaves to bear tiny, five-petaled pink or white flowers.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderCaryophyllalesFamilyDroseraceaeGenusDrosera

Pink Sundew

Interesting facts

Charles Darwin was famously obsessed with sundews, once writing that he cared more about the Drosera genus than the origin of all the species in the world.

The 'dew' on the Pink Sundew isn't water at all, but a complex biological glue strong enough to trap struggling insects.

To prevent eating its own pollinators, the Pink Sundew cleverly grows its flowers on a long stalk high above its deadly, sticky leaves.

Special abilities

Secretes a sticky, sweet-smelling glandular fluid that mimics morning dew to lure and trap small insects.

Possesses the ability to slowly curl its tentacles and leaves around captured prey, maximizing the surface area in contact with the insect.

Produces specialized digestive enzymes, such as proteases and phosphatases, to dissolve insect exoskeletons and absorb essential nutrients directly through its leaves.