Sundews

Name: Sundews 

Diet: Mostly absorb nutrients through the soil but they supplement this with a diet of insects, mainly mosquitos 

Behaviour: Almost all are perennial (present and active all year round). In rare cases, they are annual (complete their lifecycle in a single breeding season) 

Lifespan: Up to 50 years 

Size: Huge variety of sizes depending on species, with some reaching heights of up to 3 metres 

Habitat/Range: Extensive range from Alaska in the North to New Zealand in the South. The majority of the species are found in Australia, followed by South America and South Africa 

Threats: Habitat loss and illegal harvesting for the plant trade 

Conservation Status: Several threatened including 5 critically endangered species 

Names & Nicknames: Drosera or sundews (named after the tiny drops of fluid on its leaves like dewdrops shining in the sun)

Size: All shapes and forms. From the minuscule pygmy sundew that's as wide as your pinky finger to the giant sundew that's a metre tall and as wide as a footlong Subway. (Although not quite as edible.)

Smell: Nectar. Sweet, sweet nectar. Nothing smells better to a sundew's unsuspecting insect prey, so these plants produce dew-like droplets that smell sweeeeeeet enough to lure in their lunch.

Favourite hangout: Now, this depends on the species of sundew. Some species love nothing more than a humid Australian rainforest, whilst others are quite happy in the bogs of Scotland. Sundews are often described as ‘cosmopolitan’ thanks to their globetrotting, though most species generally like it hot and moist.

Favourite snack: Tasty mosquitos. Mozzies also like it hot and moist, so plenty are buzzing around in sundew territory; once lured into their sticky trap, nearby tentacles coil around the unsuspecting moz to smother it. Then, it can look forward to slow digestion over the next few weeks. Nice to know there's something out there that bites mosquitos back!

A history in potions: The dew of the round-leaved sundew used to be the basis of an anti-ageing tonic, as people believed the plant was a source of youth. Next up? Love charm. The romantics thought its special attractive powers could be used on humans... if only.

If you see them: Please leave them where they are! Like many carnivorous plants, they are swiped from the wild and sold to the highest budder! Instead, take a nice photo and then swat a few pesky flies their way.

Red flags: Habitat destruction to make way for cities and farms. There are also some more niche cases: a lack of regular forest fires leading to the possible extinction of Drosera allantostigmaor and mining projects in the Congo threatening the critically endangered Drosera insolita.

Growth: Young sundews really can't wait to grow up. As long as they have a good supply of insects, they'll reach maturity in as little as three months, generally around a year.

Eating habits: Sundews want to be veggies; they do. They love soil nutrients, but sometimes, this isn't enough to satisfy their cravings, so they turn to a darker alternative: MEAT. Well, insects. Sundews have tentacles that secrete a sweet nectar-like substance to attract their unwilling meals. Once the insect has made contact with these goopy balls, it's trapped and suffocated! A gruesome way to go.

Facts: Several species have learned to take advantage of the sundews' unusual feeding method. Assassin bugs aren't fussed about the deadly allure of sundews and will live on the plant, snapping up prey caught in the sundew traps. The sundewflower fly will even give birth on these carnivorous grounds! This might sound like bad parenting, but the larvae can hide away from the deadly tendrils on the exposed leaves of the sundews – way to go, mom and dad.

Who are they in the friendship group: A sticky customer, tactile, and you'll always give in to what they want to do. Their power of attraction is... impressive.

How endangered are they: They range from least concern to five critically endangered species: D. insolita, D. oreopodion, D. allantostigma, D. leioblastusand, and D. katangensis.