Carniveous plants here in the UK?

We’ve nearly all heard of venus flytraps, but did you know we have our own carnivorous plants here in the UK?

This week we found Round Leaved Sundews (Drosera rotundifolia) on one of our sites bordering the Cairngorms National Park. These plants are found on wet heaths and peaty moors, at the edge of bog pools sitting among damp Sphagnum mosses.

Sundew’s get their name from the glistening dew-like droplets found at the end of tendrils that cover their leaves. These ‘dew’ droplets however are actually a sticky glue that traps small insects who land on, or walk across the plant. Once captured glands on the leaves gradually enclose the insects, and chemicals are produced allowing the plant to digest it. Sundews are typically found in nutrient poor areas, and this adaptation enables the plant to gain nutrients that aren’t found in the soil. The species is found throughout the UK, and it can be seen flowering between June and August.