Sundews

carnivorous plants · insects · survival trick

Sticky leaf traps. Sundews have hundreds of tiny stalks on their leaves covered in gooey, mucus-like droplets that sparkle in the sun like dewdrops. When insects land on these drops, they get stuck and can't escape.

Insects become meals. Once an insect is trapped, the sundew slowly wraps its leaves around it and releases digestive juices to break it down. The plant then absorbs the nutrients from the insect's body.

Found everywhere. There are at least 194 different species of sundews, and they grow on every continent except Antarctica. They come in all sorts of sizes and shapes.

Solving soil problems. Sundews use insects to get minerals like nitrogen and phosphorus that are missing from the poor, boggy soil where they live. This carnivorous diet helps them survive in places where most plants can't.

Glistening design. The name sundew comes from the way their sticky droplets catch the light and look like dew or morning frost, even on sunny days.