ROUND-LEAVED SUNDEW Drosera rotundifolia
Drosera rotundifolia, commonly known as the round-leaved sundew, is an insectivorous plant species belonging to the sundew genus. It is a temperate species native to Europe, Canada, and either the east or west coast of the United States.
Drosera rotundifolia is a perennial herb which forms a semi-erect rosette with short stems of spatulate leaves up to 10 cm tall. Plants in temperate regions undergo dormancy during which they form a winter resting bud called a hibernaculum.
As is typical for sundews, the leaf blades are densely covered with stalked mucilagenous glands which secrete a sugary nectar to attract insects. These then become ensnared by the mucilage and, unless they are strong enough to escape, are suffocated or die from exhaustion. The plant then secretes digestive enzymes from sessile glands and later absorbs the resulting nutrient solution to supplement the poor mineral nutrition of the plants natural environment.
Drosera rotundifolia typically blooms from June through August, forming up to 15 cm. tall inflorescences bearing 3-8 white flowers. Fertilized ovaries swell to form egg-shaped dehiscent seed capsules which bear numerous small seeds.
Drosera rotundifolia is one of the most widely distributed species in the genus, and one of only three Drosera species native to Europe (the others are D. intermedia and D. anglica).
Drosera rotundifolia grows in sunny, but constantly moist habitats including bogs, fens, wet sandy shorelines and wet meadows. Since it is carnivorous, it is able to occupy relatively infertile habitats including wet sand and peat.
Note: These seeds are fairly small! It's just how they naturally are. Reading glasses are recommended to aid with seeing them, even for those who don't normally require glasses to read. The seeds are shipped in either a wax envelope, or folder within a small paper. Open carefully, and sprinkle onto the growing medium. Do not bury the seeds. Germination information is below.
Type: Hardy perennial
Hardiness zones: 5-9
Seed origin: USA
Seeds per pack: 10
Germination: These seeds would greatly benefit from a cold stratification period of 4-6 weeks. They will likely not germinate without the stratification period. They could take up to a couple months to germinate after the stratification period is complete. When removing from stratification, ensure the seeds are in a humid environment, a good way to bring humidity levels up would be to cover the container with the seeds with cling wrap or keep them in an enclosed area like a terrarium. As the plants are native to boggy areas, the container can be kept in a dish with standing water (always make sure to use either rain, distilled or reverse osmosis water). A growing medium of 50% peat and 50% perlite is recommended. If using standard box store peat, triple rinsing to ensure any unwanted minerals are flushed out of the peat is recommended.
