Pink sundew facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pink sundew |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Drosera
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| Species: |
capillaris
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Drosera capillaris, often called the pink sundew or spathulate-leaved sundew, is a super cool carnivorous plant. This means it eats insects! It's a small plant that belongs to the Droseraceae family. You can find these amazing plants in wet, sunny areas like pine flatwoods and bogs. They grow in the southeastern United States, from Texas all the way to Florida and up to Virginia. You can also spot them in some parts of the Caribbean. Pink sundews love moist, acidic soil.
Contents
What Does the Pink Sundew Look Like?
The pink sundew is usually quite small. It typically grows to be about 2 to 4 cm (about 1 to 1.5 inches) wide. But in really wet places, it can grow a bit bigger, up to 7 cm (about 2.7 inches) across!
Leaves and Tentacles
This plant has round, spoon-shaped leaf blades. These leaves are covered with many tiny "tentacles." These tentacles are sticky and help the plant catch insects.
If the plant gets a lot of sunshine, its whole body might turn a bright red color. If it's in normal light, the leaves are usually a fresh lime-green. The sticky tentacles, however, often stay red. The leaves grow in a circle, called a rosette. They usually lie flat on the ground.
How Does the Pink Sundew Grow?
Pink sundews have an interesting life cycle. Some of these plants act like annuals. This means they grow, flower, and then die within one year. Other pink sundews are perennials. These plants can live for two or more years!
Reproduction and Flowering
Seeds of the pink sundew usually start to sprout in the fall. The time it takes for them to sprout can vary quite a bit, sometimes taking several months. The flowers of the pink sundew are pink, just like its name suggests! They often appear around April. However, these plants can flower at many different times throughout the year.
Where Does the Pink Sundew Live?
You can often see D. capillaris growing in large groups. They sometimes cover big areas so thickly that it's hard to walk without stepping on them! They love to grow out of wet sand, sphagnum moss, or even roadside ditches.
Plant Friends
Pink sundews often share their homes with other cool carnivorous plants. You might find them growing next to American pitcher plants (like Sarracenia). They also live near butterworts and bladderworts. It's like a neighborhood of bug-eating plants!
See also
In Spanish: Drosera capillaris para niños
