# round-leaved sundew (*Drosera rotundifolia*) The round-leaved sundew is a special plant that catches tiny bugs with its sticky leaves! It looks like it has little drops of dew on it, which helps it trap its food. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 16 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![round-leaved sundew](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Drosera_rotondifolia.JPG&width=800) Photo: association AMV, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Drosera_rotondifolia.JPG) ## Appearance The round-leaved sundew has a flat rosette of small, reddish-green, spoon-shaped leaves. Each leaf is covered with sparkling, sticky red tentacles that trap small insects. Tiny white flowers grow on a slender stalk above the leaves. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Caryophyllales - **Family:** Droseraceae - **Genus:** Drosera ## Interesting facts - It moves super slowly! A leaf can take hours to wrap around a captured insect. - Its sparkling 'dew' is actually a super sticky glue, not water! - The round-leaved sundew can be found all over the world, even in frosty places! - This tiny plant can live for many years, even decades, in the right wet spots. ## Special abilities - **Sticky Trap:** round-leaved sundew can catch tiny insects using incredibly sticky, dew-like drops on its tentacles to get extra nutrients. - **Nutrient Feast:** round-leaved sundew has special digestive enzymes that break down trapped insects, helping it thrive in poor soil. - **Attractant Sparkle:** round-leaved sundew has glistening, sugary droplets that look like irresistible nectar, luring unsuspecting prey closer. - **Leafy Hug:** round-leaved sundew can slowly curl its leaves around struggling prey, creating a tighter grip and better digestion. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 2-10 cm - **Spread:** 2-8 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [fruit fly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/fruit-fly) (*Drosophila melanogaster*) — A common insect prey trapped by its sticky leaves. - **Eaten by:** common house mosquito (*Culex pipiens*) — Often falls victim to the sundew's deceptive, glistening tentacles. - **Pollinates:** buff-tailed bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*) — Visits its small white flowers to collect nectar and pollen. - **Eaten by:** European fire ant (*Myrmica rubra*) — Occasionally trapped and digested by the sundew's sticky glands. ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Carnivorous Plant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous-plant): Carnivorous plants are predatory flowering plants that derive some or most of their nutrients from trapping and consuming animals or protozoans. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/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. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Don't touch the plant too much, as it needs its sticky leaves to catch food. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify round-leaved 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 tall is round-leaved sundew? 2-10 cm ### How wide does round-leaved sundew spread? 2-8 cm ### How big are the flowers on round-leaved sundew? 0.5-1 cm ### When does round-leaved sundew bloom? Summer ### Is round-leaved sundew edible? No ### Is round-leaved sundew toxic? None ### What is round-leaved sundew's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Bear Meadows Natural Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bear-meadows-natural-area) — Pennsylvania, US · Nature Reserve - [Chesham](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chesham) — New Hampshire, US · Historic District - [Saint Regis Pond](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/saint-regis-pond) — New York, US · Natural Landmark - [Tom S. Cooperrider-Kent Bog State Nature Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/tom-s-cooperrider-kent-bog-state-nature-preserve) — Ohio, US · Nature Reserve - [Long Island Game Farm](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/long-island-game-farm) — New York, US · Zoo - [Long Island Aquarium and Exhibition Center](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/long-island-aquarium-and-exhibition-center-new-york) — New York, US · Zoo [View all places to see round-leaved sundew](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/round-leaved-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*) --- Source: [Round-leaved Sundew: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/round-leaved-sundew)