Sundew

    A sundew is like a Venus Fly trap and a pitcher plant. It does the same things, but it gets its food in a different way. The sundew and plants like it can be called carnivores. The sundew manufactures its own food. The sundew is sometimes called the scourge of the bog. Sundews live in spagnum moss bogs.
A sundew plant has sticky hairs on its leaves which are coated with a liquid that gives off a scent that attracts insects.  When an insect gets stuck on one of the hairs, the hair wraps around it, covers it with digestive juices, and the insect dies.
    The sundew plants grow in soil that lack important minerals, especially nitrogen. Special organs enable the sundew plant to digest insects' bodies which will provide the minerals that they need.  .
    You can buy domesticated sundew. If you buy them you have to feed them, and you feed them pieces of raw meat in addition to other live prey. (feed sparingly) A domesticated sundew is a good pet for some apartment dwellers. The domesticated sundew travels well in its covered bottle, but it will grow better with the cap  removed. The sundews love sun ,but, however, don't overheat.
    It's supposedly said that the sundew can curdle milk, remove warts, and relieve coughs. Some say the sundew can be used to go to sleep.
    Hibernation: The sundew is a perennial; but to stay healthy, year after year, it will need an annual snooze at temperatures of 38 to 45 degrees F for 4 to 5 months. That's what winters are for. They can tolerate some freezing. Portions of the plant will die back to a winter bud. Seeds require cold treatment to germinate.
    The flowers are white with quarter inch petals. They open fully and are pollinated by the same insects that they trap.  The insects are only eaten if they land on the leaves. When there are no insects, the flowers self pollinate.

                                                                                                    By Kim
(Photo from The Center for Aquatic Plants, University of Florida.  http://aquatl.ifas.ufl.edu/)

This page was created by the Osseo-Fairchild sixth grade students supported by a Cluster A Goals 2000 Grant
Created 4/8/1999     Updated 4/8/1999    sdp

You may contact us at:  spoore@mail.ofsd.k12.wi.us

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