By Kristen Geagan, Director of Stewardship
Sundews are a passively carnivorous genus of plants found along the shores of
freshwater ponds, as well as streams, swamps, bogs, and fens. The leaves are covered in hairs that secrete a sticky dew that attracts insects. The insects become stuck in the goo and the leaves then wrap around the bodies digesting them. You can find the small flower stalks in bloom around mid-late August.
We have three species of Drosera on the Vineyard: Spatulate-leaved sundew (Dorsera intermedia), spoon-leaved sundew (Drosera rotundifolia), and the elusive thread-leaved sundew (Drosera filiformus). I have searched for D. filiformus on the island over the last 20 years and have never found it. Please reach out to us if you know of a location on Martha’s Vineyard where it can be found!