Great Sundew
Drosera anglica
Drosera anglica, commonly known as the English sundew or great sundew, is a carnivorous flowering plant species belonging to the sundew family Droseraceae. It is a temperate species with a circumboreal range, although it does occur as far south as Japan, southern Europe, and the island of Kauai in Hawaii, where it grows as a tropical sundew.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drosera_anglica
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Family
Droseraceae
Genus
Drosera
Great Sundew belongs to the family Droseraceae, order Caryophyllales, within the Magnoliopsida class.
Species Profile
Drosera anglica, commonly known as the English sundew or great sundew, is a carnivorous flowering plant species belonging to the sundew family Droseraceae. It is a temperate species with a circumboreal range, although it does occur as far south as Japan, southern Europe, and the island of Kauai in Hawaii, where it grows as a tropical sundew. It is thought to originate from an amphidiploid hybrid of D. rotundifolia and D. linearis, meaning that a sterile hybrid between these two species doubled its chromosomes to produce fertile progeny which stabilized into the current D. anglica.
Great Sundew populations are declining primarily due to habitat loss from wetland drainage, peat bog destruction, and agricultural conversion of its specialized bog habitats. Climate change and altered hydrology further threaten the specific water chemistry and moisture conditions this carnivorous plant requires to survive.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
D. anglica growing on a quaking bog in the Wallowa Mountains of Oregon Drosera anglica grows in open, non-forested habitat with wet, often calcium-rich soils. These include bogs, marl fens, quaking bogs, cobble shores, and other calcareous habitats. This tolerance of calcium is relatively rare in the rest of the genus. D. anglica is often associated with various sphagnum mosses, and many times...
Threats
IUCN Red List: Endangered
Great Sundew populations are declining primarily due to habitat loss from wetland drainage, peat bog destruction, and agricultural conversion of its specialized bog habitats. Climate change and altered hydrology further threaten the specific water chemistry and moisture conditions this carnivorous plant requires to survive.
Agricultural conversion and land development
Wetland drainage and bog destruction
Climate change and altered precipitation patterns
Habitat fragmentation
Hydrological changes affecting water chemistry
National vs Global Threat Status
How this species is assessed at the national level compared to its IUCN global status (EN).
| Country | National Status | Global Status | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU | NTNear Threatened | ENEndangered | Lower local risk |
| EU | NTNear Threatened | ENEndangered | Lower local risk |
National Red List data sourced from the National Red List Project (nationalredlist.org, ZSL) and country-specific Red List authorities.
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
National Red Lists: ZSL (2025). National Red List. Zoological Society of London. Available at: https://www.nationalredlist.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Great Sundew (Drosera anglica). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/great-sundew