Round-Leaved Sundew vs Blue Flax - TreeTime.ca

Round-Leaved Sundew vs Blue Flax

Drosera rotundifolia

Linum lewisii

CUSTOM GROW

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Round-Leaved Sundew
Blue Flax

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.

Blue Flax is a native perennial wildflower known for its blue to violet flowers. Each flower lasts just a single day, but new blooms appear continuously, providing weeks of colour. This extended flowering period provides a reliable display from late spring into summer and attracts a variety of pollinators.

They can self-seed readily, so removing spent blooms helps manage their spread. Birds feed on the seeds, and when cooked, they are edible and are described as having a mild, nutty flavour. The plant grows in loose clumps with slender stems and fine foliage. Young plants are leafy, but as they mature, most leaves are shed.

Blue Flax grows well in a wide range of soils, including poor or sandy conditions, and is drought-tolerant once established. The deep root system helps to stabilize soil and prevent erosion. They are well-suited for pollinator gardens, restoration, naturalization, and xeriscaping projects.

As a perennial, it dies back to the crown each winter, it will regrow from the base in the spring. Avoid disturbing the crown during late winter to ensure healthy growth the following season.

Round-Leaved Sundew Quick Facts

Blue Flax Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 3a
Height: 0.1 m (0.2 ft)
Height: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Spread: 0.1 m (0.4 ft)
Spread: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: wet
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: short
Growth form: rosette-forming
Growth form: upright, rounded, clump-forming
Spreading: axillary bud plantlets - medium, seeds - low
Spreading: seeds - high
Maintenance: medium


Toxicity: toxic to some animals, raw seed toxic
Foliage: round, green with sticky red tentacles
Fall colour: red to marooon
Flowers: tiny white flowers on long leafless stem
Flowers: pale to deep blue-violet
Bloom time: summer
Bloom time: late spring to mid 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, YT, NT, NU
Other Names: roundleaf sundew
Other Names: lewis flax, lewis wild blue flax, prairie flax, wild blue flax