# Sticky False Asphodel (*Triantha glutinosa*) The Sticky False Asphodel is a unique plant with sticky leaves that can trap tiny insects! It grows in wet areas and has beautiful white flowers that bloom in the summer. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Sticky False Asphodel](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Triantha_glutinosa.jpg&width=800) Photo: Mason Brock ( Masebrock ), Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Triantha_glutinosa.jpg) ## Appearance The Sticky False Asphodel has a slender green stem densely covered in glistening, sticky red-brown glands. Its small, star-shaped flowers are creamy-white to pale yellow, clustered at the top of the stalk, and its narrow, grass-like leaves are found mostly at the base. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Liliopsida - **Order:** Alismatales - **Family:** Tofieldiaceae - **Genus:** Triantha ## Interesting facts - It can grow in places where most plants struggle because it gets extra food from trapped insects! - Scientists only recently confirmed this sticky plant is actually a secret meat-eater! - The 'False Asphodel' part of its name means it looks like another flower but isn't! - This hardy plant can thrive high up in mountains, even above the tree line in some areas! ## Special abilities - **Insect Trap:** Sticky False Asphodel can trap tiny insects on its stems because its stalks are covered in glue-like hairs, helping it get extra nutrients. - **Pollinator Protection:** This plant has a clever trick: its sticky insect traps are separate from its flower pollen, so it doesn't accidentally eat its own pollinators! - **Metal Magnet:** It has a superpower to absorb heavy metals like zinc from the soil, cleaning up its environment while it grows! ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 10-50 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-1.5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** [Fruit fly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/fruit-fly) (*Drosophila melanogaster*) — traps tiny insects on its sticky stem for nutrients - **Eats:** Silky ant (*Formica fusca*) — lures and catches small ants with its glandular hairs - **Pollinates:** Two-form Bumblebee (*Bombus bifarius*) — flowers attract bees for nectar and pollen collection ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Cluster Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/cluster-flower): Cluster flowers are inflorescences where individual flowers are arranged closely together on a common stem. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [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. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't touch plants without asking an adult first. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Sticky False Asphodel? 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 Sticky False Asphodel? 10-50 cm ### How big are the flowers on Sticky False Asphodel? 0.5-1.5 cm ### When does Sticky False Asphodel bloom? Summer ### Is Sticky False Asphodel edible? No ### Is Sticky False Asphodel toxic? None ### What is Sticky False Asphodel's lifecycle? Perennial ### How is Sticky False Asphodel pollinated? Insect ## Where to spot - [Mount Richardson Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mount-richardson-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park ## 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: [Sticky False Asphodel: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sticky-false-asphodel)