Round-Leaved Sundew vs Softstem Bulrush - TreeTime.ca

Round-Leaved Sundew vs Softstem Bulrush

Drosera rotundifolia

Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani

CUSTOM GROW

CUSTOM GROW

Round-Leaved Sundew
Softstem Bulrush

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.

Softstem Bulrush is a native perennial sedge that forms dense colonies of tall, upright stems. Thriving in saturated soils and shallow water, it spreads vigorously by rhizomes, creating large colonies that stabilize shorelines, control erosion, and strengthen wetland ecosystems.
Dense stands of Softstem Bulrush create shelter and nesting sites for birds, while also supporting aquatic invertebrates and the larvae of numerous insects. It is also an important food source. Many wetland birds, especially ducks, feed on the seeds, while muskrats feed on the foliage and rhizomes. Well-suited for ecological restoration, waterside & riparian plantings, erosion control, and habitat enhancement projects.

Round-Leaved Sundew Quick Facts

Softstem Bulrush Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 3a
Height: 0.1 m (0.2 ft)
Height: 1.8 m (6 ft)
Spread: 0.1 m (0.4 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: wet
Moisture: wet
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: short
Growth form: rosette-forming
Growth form: upright, clump-forming
Spreading: axillary bud plantlets - medium, seeds - low
Spreading: rhizomes - high


Foliage: round, green with sticky red tentacles
Fall colour: red to marooon
Flowers: tiny white flowers on long leafless stem
Bloom time: summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, PE
Other Names: roundleaf sundew
Other Names: american great bulrush, common great bulrush, great bulrush, soft-stemmed bulrush