Round-leaved Sundew

Drosera rotundifolia

APPEARANCE

This is a small insect-eating plant that has sticky red tentacles for capturing insects such as mosquitoes, midges and gnats.

RANGE & HABITAT

Sundew is found in many parts of the world, but always in wet places (bogs, fens and wet meadows). Round-leaved sundew is found throughout B.C. in wet habitats.

LIFE CYCLE

After trapping an insect, Sundews use digestive juices to dissolve nutrients out of the insect. Sundews can be pollinated by the same insects that are trapped by their sticky leaves. Small white flowers develop into capsules with lots of seeds in them.

TRADITIONAL USES BY INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

The leaves can be used for removing warts. The sundew is known as ‘many hearts’ by the Haida first nation and is a good luck charm for fishing. The sap contains an antibiotic and can treat tuberculosis, asthma, bronchitis and cough.

OTHER USES

The leaves of the round-leaved sundew are known to curdle milk and in Sweden they are used to make cheese. Plant extracts have been used for anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic capabilities, and can also treat respiratory ailments. The fresh leaves of the sundew are used medicinally to treat warts, related to the plants ability to digest proteins in insects.