Does it need tap water?

No, always use distilled, rain, or reverse osmosis water to avoid mineral buildup.

Should I feed it bugs?

It will catch its own food if kept outdoors, but you do not need to feed it manually.

Plant guide

Round leaved sundew.

Drosera rotundifolia

Pronounced droh-SER-uh roh-tun-dih-FOH-lee-uh

Also known as Common Sundew, Round-leaf Sundew, Round-leaved Sundew, Roundleaf Sundew

round-leaved sundew — Photo by william_hoyer (CC BY) via iNaturalist

This fascinating carnivorous plant thrives in nutrient poor, boggy environments. It captures small insects using sticky, dew like droplets on its leaves. You will find it is a unique addition to a specialized collection.

Another photo of Round leaved sundew — Photo by Александр Тихонов (CC BY) via iNaturalist

At a glance

Care level: Difficult
Plant type: Carnivorous perennial
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Indoor light: Direct sun
Water: Every 1 to 2 days
Mature size: 3 to 5 inches
Growth rate: Slow
Hardiness: USDA 3 to 8
Bloom time: Mid to late summer

Care

Keep the soil constantly moist by sitting the pot in a tray of distilled water. Avoid using tap water as minerals can harm the plant. Watch for dry, brown leaf tips which indicate the soil has lost its moisture.

Watering: Always keep the soil saturated with distilled or rainwater.
Feeding: Do not fertilize this plant as it gets nutrients from insects.
Pruning: Remove dead or blackened leaves to keep the plant tidy.
Repotting: Repot in fresh carnivorous plant soil mix every year or two.
Soil: Sphagnum peat moss and perlite mix
Soil pH: 3.5 to 5.0
Temperature: -20 to 30°C
Humidity: 60 to 100%
Drought tolerance: Low
Lifespan: Perennial, typically 3 to 5 years.
Deer and rabbits: High

Signs it needs repotting

The peat moss has broken down into a dense sludge.
The plant has outgrown its current container.
Mineral crusts have formed on the surface of the soil.

Safety

People: The plant is not considered toxic, but it is not edible.
Children: Keep this plant away from small children to prevent them from pulling off the sticky leaves or attempting to eat them.
Contact allergens: The sticky mucilage can cause mild skin irritation in sensitive individuals.
Airborne allergens: There are no known significant respiratory allergens associated with this plant.
Edibility: This plant is not intended for consumption and contains compounds that may cause digestive distress.

How to identify it

Circular leaves with sticky tentacles
Glistening dew drops on leaf surfaces
Small white or pink flowers
Low growing basal rosette habit

Height: 0.02 to 0.05m
Spread: 0.05 to 0.1m
Leaves: green, red, deciduous
Flowers: white, 0.5 to 1cm
Fruit: black, Autumn

Problems to watch for

AphidsCommon
DehydrationCommon
Gray MoldUncommon
Root RotUncommon

By symptom

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Growing it

Propagation: seed, leaf cuttings
When to plant: spring
Overwintering: The plant forms a dormant bud called a hibernaculum. Keep it in a cool, bright area and ensure the soil remains moist but not waterlogged during the winter months.
In containers: It grows very well in pots, provided they are kept in a tray of water and use a minimum 10 cm diameter container.

Seed

Sow seeds on the surface of damp peat moss.
Maintain high humidity and bright light.
Keep the soil consistently moist until germination.

Leaf Cuttings

Carefully remove a healthy leaf.
Place the leaf on wet sphagnum moss.
Cover with a clear lid to maintain humidity until plantlets form.

Always plant in a bog-style container with a mix of peat moss and perlite to maintain the necessary acidity and moisture.

Grows well with

Pitcher Plant · They share similar requirements for high moisture and acidic, nutrient-poor soil.
Sphagnum Moss · It provides the ideal acidic, moisture-retentive substrate for sundews.

Similar species

Thread-leaved Sundew · A related carnivorous plant with distinct, elongated leaves.
Cape Sundew · A common, easy-to-grow relative that is not cold-hardy.

Science

Family: Droseraceae
Genus: Drosera
Order: Caryophyllales
Class: Magnoliopsida
Native range: Circumboreal distribution across North America, Europe, and Asia.
Conservation: It is protected in some regions due to habitat loss and should never be collected from the wild.

It survives in waterlogged, acidic, and nutrient-poor peat bogs by trapping insects to obtain nitrogen.

Value to wildlife: nectar source
Pollinators: bees, butterflies, beetles
Uses: bog garden specimen, educational plant

Through the year

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Flowering

Fruiting

Foliage

Ecological indicators

Salinity: 1/9
Soil reaction: 2/9
Light: 8/9
Temperature: 3/9
Moisture: 9/9
Nutrients: 1/9

Taxonomy resolved against GBIF.

Questions people ask

Does it need tap water?: No, always use distilled, rain, or reverse osmosis water to avoid mineral buildup.
Should I feed it bugs?: It will catch its own food if kept outdoors, but you do not need to feed it manually.

Where the name comes from

The genus name Drosera comes from the Greek word for dew, referring to the glistening droplets on the leaves, while rotundifolia describes the round shape of the leaves.

Good to know

It is also known as the round-leaved sundew.
The plant thrives in nutrient-poor, acidic bogs.
It forms a winter resting bud called a hibernaculum to survive cold temperatures.
The leaves are arranged in a basal rosette close to the ground.

Also in

Deer-resistant plants

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This guide was generated with AI on September 26, 2026 and checked against GBIF taxonomy. It is general information, not horticultural or veterinary advice. Read about how we build these guides.