Family: Sundew (Droseraceae)

Small, insectivorous plants. Leaves reddish, glistening, at ground level; flowers white to pink, 5-petaled, opening one at a time in wandlike cluster atop straight stalk, opening only in sunshine.

NOTE:
The droplets that glisten on the leaves of these delicate-looking plant serve to attract and entrap the small insects upon which they feed. The sweet, sticky fluid is exuded at the tips of the grandular hairs that cover the leaves. When an insect, attracted by the appetizing odor, becomes stuck among the hairs, the neighboring hairs are triggered to bend like tentacles, further binding the insect and eventually suffocating it. Protein-digesting enzymes are then secreted, which cause the release of nitrogen and other vital elements that are absorbed by the leaves.

Height: 2 to 8 inches

Found: Acid bogs

Blooms: June to August