Sulphur-Flower Buckwheat vs Round-Leaved Sundew - TreeTime.ca

Sulphur-Flower Buckwheat vs Round-Leaved Sundew

Eriogonum umbellatum

Drosera rotundifolia

CUSTOM GROW

CUSTOM GROW

Sulphur-Flower Buckwheat
Round-Leaved Sundew

Sulphur-Flower Buckwheat is a native perennial wildflower known for its dense clusters of cream to yellow flowers. The long-lasting blooms persist from late spring into summer, providing an extended nectar source for a variety of pollinators. The flower buds are often red-tinted before opening. As the blooms age, they shift to orange or red, adding seasonal interest and making them well-suited to dried flower arrangements. Its seeds are also eaten by birds, adding to its ecological value.

Depending on climate and conditions, Sulphur-Flower Buckwheat may be evergreen to semi-evergreen, or its foliage may turn red during fall. Its deep roots and spreading growth stabilize rocky or sandy soils, making it useful for erosion control. Exceptionally hardy once established, it requires little care and thrives in challenging environments, making it an excellent choice for pollinator gardens, naturalization, and ecological restoration projects.

Round-Leaved Sundew is a native carnivorous plant, easily recognized by its bright green leaves covered in distinctive red, glandular hairs. These hairs secrete a sticky substance that is used to attract, trap, and digest insects. Their carnivorous nature allows them to survive in nutrient-poor, acidic soils where many other plants may struggle to grow.
They produce small white flowers that grow along the top of a slender, leafless stem. They can be found growing in wetlands, most often among sphagnum moss, in consistently moist, acidic soils. It does best in cooler summer climates and is intolerant of shade. Due to its small size, the plant can be difficult to spot in its natural habitat. Round-Leaved Sundew is an indicator of healthy wetland systems and is valued in ecological restoration and conservation projects.

Sulphur-Flower Buckwheat Quick Facts

Round-Leaved Sundew Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 3a
Height: 0.2 m (0.5 ft)
Height: 0.1 m (0.2 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 0.1 m (0.4 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: wet
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: slow
Life span: short
Life span: short
Growth form: upright to spreading, clump-forming
Growth form: rosette-forming
Spreading: seeds - low
Spreading: axillary bud plantlets - medium, seeds - low


Foliage: leathery
Foliage: round, green with sticky red tentacles
Fall colour: reddish bronze
Fall colour: red to marooon
Flowers: colour varies, typically white to yellow
Flowers: tiny white flowers on long leafless stem
Bloom time: mid spring to mid summer
Bloom time: summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Other Names: sulphur buckwheat, sulphur flower, wild buckwheat
Other Names: roundleaf sundew