Sundew is undoubtedly one of the most representative representatives of carnivorous plants. Some of the more than 200 species of plants are very suitable for getting started with the interesting hobby of carnivore breeding. Worth knowing about the sundew - a profile.

Sundew is a carnivorous plant with over 200 species

Sundew - A profile

  • Botanical name: Drosera
  • Family: Sundew family (Droseraceae)
  • Special feature: carnivorous plant (carnivores)
  • Occurrence: worldwide
  • Species: more than 200 species
  • Growth form: Rosettes, upright or climbing
  • Annual/perennial: mostly perennial
  • Age: some species up to 50 years
  • Height: 1cm to 300cm
  • leaves: very different, with and without stalk
  • Flowers: very long peduncles, self-fertile
  • Flower colors: white, pink, orange, violet,
  • Flowering time: depending on the species, very short flowering period
  • Tentacles: Glands with drops of sticky secretion
  • Propagation: seeds, leaf cuttings, root division
  • Hardiness: native species hardy
  • Use: ornamental plant in bog beds, flower windows, terrariums
  • Use as a medicinal plant: for coughs and lung diseases, tissue cultivation.

Sundew species native to Germany are protected

Sundew is one of the endangered species in Germany. You may not dig up, pick or cut the plant in the wild.

There are three native species of sundew in Germany:

  • D. anglica (long-leaved sundew)
  • D. rotundifolia (Round leaved sundew)
  • D. intermedia (middle sundew)

Does Drosera have to be fed?

Like all carnivorous plants, the sundew does not need to be fed. Usually there are enough insects that the plant can catch itself. If no fleshly food is available, Drosera supplies itself with nutrients via the roots and leaves.

If you want to feed your sundew for demonstration purposes, enter at most one animal that is still alive. Never feed dead insects, as they will eventually rot.

Sundew as a medicinal plant

Sundew has been used as a medicinal plant for centuries. It is primarily used for diseases of the respiratory tract. Sundew is administered as a tea or tincture.

The sticky secretions are used in biomedicine for tissue engineering.

Since sundew is a nature reserve, only cultivated plants or Drosera plants from other regions are used for the production of natural medicine.

tips

Caring for sundews is less of a hassle than many plant lovers think. It is particularly important that no soil, but special carnivore substrates are used. Only water Drosera with rainwater or distilled water.

Category:

Vegetable garden