Scented Sundew

~ Drosera whittakeri ~

DROSERACEAE

Now, the Drosera may not be the prettiest in the pack, but it definitely wins the badass award for … eating meat. Yep, that’s correct: eating meat. The Scented Sundew is considered carnivorous and munches on the various invertebrates that get trapped in its sticky hairs. It has evolved over millennia to deal with nutrient-poor environments and can often be seen trapping and slowly digesting mozzies and flies while chilling out on rock faces. Even Charles Darwin marvelled in fright at the Drosera genus when he first discovered them. It took him 15 years to tell anyone about these homicidal herbs for fear of being labelled insane.

WHERE TO LOOK

This South Australian resident likes its winters wet and summers dry. It’s endemic to the southern country and can be found throughout the Lofty Ranges and national parks surrounding Adelaide down towards the Great Australian Bight.

Locations → SA: Shepherds Hill Recreation Park, Bullock Hill Conservation Park, Mount Billy Conservation Park and Manning Flora and Fauna Reserve.

FEATURES

The plant is light green to bronze. Its leaves are covered in tiny sticky tentacles that snare small insects and close over them, either drowning them in digestive juices or exhausting them to the point of death. After the plant kills the insect, it then digests it by using enzymes to liquefy it. Mouth-watering. When light hits these digestive droplets, it gives the plant a dew-like appearance, hence its common name Sundew. Flowers are around 2–2.5mm, white and fragrant and grow on long stems, away from those murderous leaves that may entrap potential pollinators. Up to 20 flowers will be grown throughout a season, showing multiples at a time.

FLOWERING SEASON

Winter and spring → Its scented flowers can be seen from late May to November.

PLANTING

Sundews need their warm, humid climates and moist soil. There’s evidence you can propagate by root cuttings; keep them warm, humid and moist until leaves pop up within a few weeks. Seeds aren’t widely available, nor are plants, but may be found in specialty nurseries and through carnivorous-plant-loving online communities.