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Droseraceae
Round-Leaved Sundew
Drosera rotundifolia
unexpected strength.
- Family
- Droseraceae
- Genus
- Drosera
- Native to
- North America, Europe, northern Asia
- Bloom season
- Summer
- Type
- perennial herb
- Height
- 0.1-0.25 ft
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- acidic, peaty, wet, nutrient-poor
- Water
- high
- Hardiness
- 3-8
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- Sundew traps insects using sticky glands on its leaves that look like sparkling dew drops — once an insect touches one, adjacent glands curl inward to engulf the prey within minutes.
- It evolved carnivory as a solution to life in bogs: where soil nitrogen is near zero, digesting insects supplements the nutrients it cannot extract from the environment.
- Charles Darwin spent years studying Drosera, conducting feeding experiments and writing a 286-page monograph on carnivorous plants published in 1875.
- Drosera is one of the largest genera of carnivorous plants with over 190 species, found on every continent except Antarctica.
- In European herbalism, sundew was used to treat lung conditions — the mucilaginous compounds were thought to soothe respiratory membranes, and some modern research suggests mild antibacterial activity.
Color meanings
0
unexpected strength
1
secretive power
2
deceptive gentleness