# 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.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 1
- **Habitat:** Typically found in highly acidic, nutrient-poor wetland environments such as peat bogs, wet pine flatwoods, and damp sandy savannas.

![Pink Sundew](https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/5279388/medium.jpg)

Photo: Bob Peterson, CC BY 4.0 · [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/5279388)

## 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.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Caryophyllales
- **Family:** Droseraceae
- **Genus:** Drosera

## 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

- **Mucilage Trap:** Secretes a sticky, sweet-smelling glandular fluid that mimics morning dew to lure and trap small insects.
- **Thigmotropic Curling:** Possesses the ability to slowly curl its tentacles and leaves around captured prey, maximizing the surface area in contact with the insect.
- **Enzymatic Digestion:** Produces specialized digestive enzymes, such as proteases and phosphatases, to dissolve insect exoskeletons and absorb essential nutrients directly through its leaves.

## Measurements & details

- **Length:** 1-4 cm
- **Lifespan:** 1-5 years

## Diet & Feeding

Supplements its nutrient-poor soil environment by passively trapping, killing, and digesting small flying and crawling insects.

- **Primary Foods:** Fungus gnats, Mosquitoes, Fruit flies, Springtails, Small ants
- **Foraging Method:** Ambush

## Ecological connections

- **Prey:** Dark-winged Fungus Gnat (*Bradysia impatiens*) — The Pink Sundew regularly catches and digests small winged insects that inhabit its damp environment.
- **Competitor:** [Peat Moss](https://www.snappit.app/explore/peat-moss) (*Sphagnum spp.*) — Often grows alongside and competes for light and space with various wetland mosses in bog habitats.
- **Pollinator:** [Sweat Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sweat-bee) (*Lasioglossum spp.*) — Small bees visit the tall flowers for nectar and serve as pollinators, remaining safely out of reach of the sticky leaves.

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Pink Sundew?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How long is Pink Sundew?

1-4 cm

### How long does Pink Sundew live?

1-5 years

### What does Pink Sundew eat?

Supplements its nutrient-poor soil environment by passively trapping, killing, and digesting small flying and crawling insects.

### Where is Pink Sundew usually found?

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

### How does Pink Sundew hunt?

Ambush

## Where to spot

- [Deep Creek Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/deep-creek-preserve) — Florida, US · Nature Reserve
- [Dead Lakes Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/dead-lakes-park) — Florida, US · Park
- [Jennings State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/jennings-state-forest) — Florida, US · Forest

[View all places to see Pink Sundew](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/pink-sundew)

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Pink Sundew: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pink-sundew)