17 Sundew Plant Facts: How Do They Differ From Other Plants?

Sundew plants are recognized worldwide as carnivorous plant species, with 194 species of sundew found all around the world.

Sundew, Drosera, belongs to the family of Droseraceae. These carnivorous plant species trap insects to fulfill their needs if they are not getting the required nutrition from the soil.

Carnivorous sundew plants are known to grow in sandy, acidic soil. The different types of these carnivorous plants grow in different climatic conditions and environments, such as pygmy sundews.

Australian carnivorous sundew plants grow in moderate Mediterranean climatic conditions, while Cape sundews are known to grow in cold-moderate climatic conditions or bog environments, and roundleaf sundew, Drosera rotundifolia, grows in acidic bogs. With the help of digestive enzymes, sundew, Drosera traps insects which are then digested by it.

The digestive enzymes are produced by the sundew plant's leaves, which are bright green in color.

The specialty of sundew plants is that they are 'flypaper' plant species that trap insects with the help of sticky dew. Sundew plants are known for their medicinal properties.

The sundew dried plant powder along with its tea was used to recover from bronchitis, asthma, stomach ulcers, and cough. Apart from their medicinal properties, they are used in the textile industry to dye clothes and are used as decorative plants in and around the house.

Sundews are not poisonous, but if consumed in excess, might lead to gastritis and stomach pain. Sundew plants are perennial and can live for more than a year.

Sundew plant species are known to trap insects with their sticky mucilage on the leaves, along with hair stalks, which have small drops of sticky mucilage. Usually, sundews prefer full sunlight, but many species thrive in bog environments.

If you feed your sundews indoor plants, they will eat when they feel like it. If you feed your sundews outdoors, they will eat once every two weeks.

Types Of Sundew Plants

There are around 194 species of sundew plants that are found globally, and many of them are not recognized by most people.

Woolly sundews, Cape sundews, fork-leafed sundews, rosette subtropical sundews, pygmy sundews, tuberous sundews, erect tuberous sundews, tropical sundews, king sundews, climbing tuberous sundews, South African winter-growing sundews, fan-leafed tuberous sundews, and rosetted tuberous sundews are some of the well-known sundew plant species.

Apart from them, the pimpernel sundews, Drosera glanduligera, are endemic to Australia, which prefers to grow in moist and soft soil habitats.

They are known to grow up to a height of 1-2 in (2.5–6 cm).

The most well-known species is the tropical sundew, Drosera burmannii, which is found in a wide range of geographical locations from the east of Asia to South Africa. According to IUCN, the conservation status of Drosera burmannii is of Least Concern.

The leaves of these species are in a rosette-like structure and range from 2–6 in (6–15 cm) in height.

The leaves of these species are in a rosette-like structure and range from 2–6 in (6–15 cm) in height. Dorsera hookeri, Drosera murfetii, Drosera aberrans, Drosera rupicola, Drosera viridis, Drosera bicolor, and many other species of sundew are among 194 species. Most of the Drosera species belong to Australia.

Characteristics Of Sundew Plants

The leaves of sundew plants help them trap insects, while their roots help absorb water from the ground soil. The beautiful flowers of the sundew plants make them decorative plants.

The name of the plant, sundew, in itself, tells you about one of its properties. The sticky mucilage of the soft plant shines like dewdrops on the leaf tips and stalks, making them more beautiful and attractive.

Sundew plants are called perennial herbaceous plants because they do not have woody stems. The shape and size of the rosette plant vary from one another and are mostly bright green in color.

The flowers of the sundew plant species also vary, such as Drosera rotundifolia having pinkish flowers while Drosera burmannii has white flowers. Sessile glands and stalked glands are usually used by sundew plants to trap insects.

Sessile glands absorb the nutrients, while stalked glands produce a sweet smell through their sticky mucilage to attract the insect. The roots of the sundew are used to absorb water and other nutrients from the soil.

When they do not get sufficient nutrients from the soil, they trap insects to thrive in environmental conditions. The Drosera flower is usually separated from the basal rosette and leaves.

They self-pollinate and the pollen falls when the flower is closed. Similar to the sunflower, the flower of sundew is also known to move along with the direction of the sun. The flower will bloom in the direction of the sun.

Examples Of Sundew plants

Round-leaved sundew, king sundew, and many others fall under the category of sundew plants.

Round-leaved sundew, also known as common sundew, prefers to grow in an environment where there are boggy climatic conditions, fens, and marshes. The scientific name of the plant species is Drosera rotundifolia.

It is commonly found in Europe, Japan, Korea, Siberia, and North America. They can also be found in New Guinea, America, California, Mississippi, and Alabama. Thus, it can be said that round-leaved sundew plants have a wide geographical spread over the world.

The king sundew, scientifically called Drosera regia, is endemic to South Africa. They are called 'king sundew' because the leaves of the plants are in the form of swords, which generally stick to the prey.

The width of the leaves is 2 ft (0.6 m) and the movement of the leaves makes them attract the viewers as they coil up when they prey and trap the insect. When the plants get older, the new stem can be observed on the leaves of the plants.

How big do sundew plants get?

Sundew plants can grow up to a height of 10 in (25 cm). Some of the species of sundew are tall, while others are small, bending their leaves towards the ground.

There is no particular shape and size for the sundew plants as there are 194 species of them. The rosette of the sundew plants is straight with a height of 0.4–39.4 in (1–100 cm), while the measurement given is also not specific and varies on the type of species.

Drosera erythrogyne is 9.8 ft (3 m) in length. This species of sundew is categorized under 'climbing sundew plants'. It is also in the category of the world's largest sundew species.

Sundew plants are perennial and thus can survive for more than a year, flowering once, but not with regard to all species. The maximum life span recorded for a sundew plant is 50 years.

If you often touch the sundew plant, which falls under the carnivorous category, then it will definitely not harm you as they are non-poisonous, but repetitive touching might trouble your stomach, causing gastritis or irritation in the digestive tract as sundew plants are known to have contraindications.