Round-leaf Sundew
Drosera rotundifolia
Last reviewed: September 2026
Round-leaf sundew is a small carnivorous forb that grows in wet, acidic bogs and fens, sending up slender flower stalks with tiny white blooms from June through August.
Toxicity unknown
Round-leaf Sundew (Drosera rotundifolia) is not listed by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (opens in new tab) or the other sources we check, so we have no verdict for it either way. Absence from those lists is not a clearance. If your pet shows symptoms after eating any plant, call the ASPCA at (888) 426-4435.
Light
full sun
Water
high
Size
2"–8" H × 2"–6" W
Bloom
Jun, Jul, Aug
Native to
AL, CA, CO, CT and 30 more states
Pollinators
bees, flies
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Round-leaf sundew is a tiny carnivorous plant that forms small rosettes of sticky, reddish leaves that trap insects. This specialized bog plant requires consistently wet conditions and produces delicate white flowers on thin stalks during summer months.
Growing Round-leaf Sundew
Grow Round-leaf Sundew in full sun and high water. Mature plants reach 2 to 8 inches tall and spread 2 to 6 inches wide. Expect high maintenance to keep it looking intentional in a front yard.
In an HOA neighborhood
Round-leaf Sundew takes more care to keep looking intentional in a front yard. Maintenance level: high. Consider it for backyard or mid-zone beds rather than the street edge.
Works well in: backyard only.
- Extremely unusual appearance may concern neighbors
- Requires bog-like conditions difficult to maintain
- Very small size makes it appear weedy or struggling
Wildlife value
The small flowers attract bees and flies during summer blooming. As a carnivorous plant, it helps control small flying insects naturally.
Common questions
- When does round-leaf sundew bloom?
- Round-leaf sundew blooms from June through August, producing a slender stalk of small white flowers that each open for only part of a day.
- What pollinates round-leaf sundew flowers?
- Bees and flies visit the flowers for nectar, while the sticky, dew-covered leaves that trap small insects serve a separate feeding function unrelated to pollination.
- What growing conditions does round-leaf sundew need?
- This plant needs consistently saturated, nutrient-poor, acidic soil, the kind found in sphagnum bogs and wet fens, along with full sun to part sun for the reddish leaf color and dew droplets to develop fully.
- Can round-leaf sundew tolerate drier soil?
- It struggles outside of consistently high moisture. Letting the growing medium dry out even briefly can quickly stress or kill the plant, since it lacks a deep root system to draw on reserve moisture.
- Is Round-leaf Sundew HOA-friendly?
- Round-leaf Sundew takes more care to look intentional in a front yard. Consider it for backyard or mid-zone beds rather than the street edge.
These answers were drafted with an AI model from this plant's data. Verify care details with a local expert.
Native range data from the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (Kew). Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.
If something looks wrong
Common plant problems, and what to check first
These come up on almost any plant. Each guide lists the likely causes in the order they are worth ruling out, with one thing to check before you act on any of them, and links to the source it came from.
- It is dying right after planting
- Leaves turning yellow
- Wilting even though I watered it
- Brown crispy leaf tips
- Bugs on the plant
Ready to grow Round-leaf Sundew? Add it to your garden in Pollinator Patch to track it and get season-by-season care guidance.
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