Sundew

Drosera L.

Sundews are fascinating plants that catch insects with their sticky tentacles. They grow in wetlands and have shiny drops that look like dew, but are actually a trap for bugs.

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Sundew is a captivating plant with rosettes of leaves covered in glistening, jewel-like drops of sticky mucilage. Its tentacles, often reddish or green, give it a sparkling appearance, making it look distinctively 'dewy' and attractive.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderCaryophyllalesFamilyDroseraceaeGenusDrosera

Sundew

Interesting facts

Many sundews have beautiful, tiny flowers that grow on tall stalks away from their sticky traps!

Some sundews can curl their entire leaf around bigger prey to digest them faster!

Sundews are found on every continent except Antarctica, growing in diverse habitats!

The 'dew' on sundews is actually a super sticky plant glue, not real water!

Special abilities

Sundew can produce glistening, sugary dew to attract and trap insects, ensuring it gets vital nutrients from its prey.

Sundew has sensitive tentacles that can slowly bend and hug captured prey, maximizing contact for digestion.

Sundew can absorb nutrients from digested insects, allowing it to thrive in nutrient-poor soils where other plants struggle.

Measurements & details

Height: 2-30 cm
Spread: 2-20 cm
Flower Size: 0.3-2 cm
Bloom Season: Spring, Summer
Edible: No
Toxicity: None
Lifecycle: Perennial
Pollination Method: Insect

Ecological connections

eaten by

fruit fly

Drosophila melanogaster

Trapped by sticky leaves for nutrients

eaten by

common mosquito

Culex pipiens

Attracted to dew and becomes trapped

symbiotic with

sphagnum moss

Sphagnum palustre

Creates acidic, nutrient-poor bog habitat

pollinates

sweat bee

Lasioglossum vierecki

Visits flowers for nectar, aiding reproduction

Traits

Shade Tolerant

Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight.

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.