The sundew can be seen during spring and summer. It has small, round leaves in a rosette pattern. It is a low-lying plant that only grows to around 15mm in height. The leaves are covered with red hairs which give out a sticky liquid.
Sundews grow on bogs and wet heaths. There are three species found in the New Forest. The round leaved sundew is the most common.
The sundew is an insectivorous plant that gets extra nutrients by digesting tiny insects. The insects are attracted by its glistening appearance and get stuck on the hairy leaves. Enzymes in the sticky liquid then gradually digest the insect. A single sundew can eat over 2,000 midges a year!!
Carnivore - Insectivorous plant. Like all green plants the sundew produces energy through the process of photosynthesis. It also cleverly gets extra nutrients through digesting insects!
The traditional management systems that created the forest heathland are in decline. This impacts on the plants and animals that rely on this artificially managed landscape. Perhaps the biggest threat to the wet heathland of the National Park is through Global Warming.
Why not help make a difference: reduce, re-use and recycle