Drosera anglica
Genus
Drosera
Species
anglica
Hawaiian Names with Diacritics
- Mikinalo
Hawaiian Names
- Mikinalo
Common Names
- English sundew
- Great sundew
Synonyms
- Drosera longifolia
Distribution Status
Indigenous
Endangered Species Status
No Status
Plant Form / Growth Habit
- Non-Woody, Clumping
Mature Size, Height (in feet)
- Herbaceous, Short, Less than 1
Mature Size, Width
Tropical forms, such as the Hawaiian form, of Drosera anglica are generally smaller than the temperate forms. Large specimens can reach 2-3 inches high. Plants should not form a stem as do temperate forms. [2]
Life Span
Short lived (Less than 5 years)
Landscape Uses
- Container
- Indoor
Additional Landscape Use Information
Mikinalo would not be suitable for the average outdoor landscape and are usually grown as a novelty.
Source of Fragrance
- No Fragrance
Plant Produces Flowers
Yes
Flower Type
Not Showy
Flower Colors
- Greenish-White
- White
Blooming Period
- Summer
Additional Blooming Period and Fruiting Information
If fed, mikinalo will flower when very young from seed. If you feed them a lot, they will produce an abundance of large seeds. [2]
Always feed mikinalo with insects, NEVER with meat such as chicken, beef or pork or the like. [David Eickhoff, Native Plants Hawaiʻi]
Plant texture
- Fine
Leaf Colors
- Light Green
- Red
Additional Leaf Color Information
Leaves are light green or yellowish-green with bright red dew drops.
Additional Pest & Disease Information
If grown outdoors, keep slugs and snails in check. These can do great damage to the plants in a short time.
Mold or fungus can grow on insects not utilized by the plants. So be sure these are removed if plant does not digest them.
Fertilizer
Always feed mikinalo with insects, NEVER with meat such as chicken, beef or pork or the like. [David Eickhoff, Native Plants Hawaiʻi]
DO NOT USE FERTILIZERS with mikinalo as it will severely harm or kill them. Carnivorous plants, such as mikinalo, get nutrients from the prey they trap and do not require extra fertilzers. They will attract insects themselves but an occasional tiny insect can be supplemented. Again, never use raw meat as a substitution for insect prey.
Feeding is vital to growth. If not fed, will grow very slowly and will produce very few flowers. Keep food size small to tiny to avoid mold. [2]
Pruning Information
The brown leaves may be carefully trimmed away if mold appears. This especially occurs after capturing prey. However, if there is no indication of mold, they may be allowed to remain on plant and thus ensuring full value of nutrients by each leaf. [David Eickhoff, Native Plants Hawaiʻi]
Water Requirements
- Wet
Additional Water Information
Mikinalo need constant moisture to survive. The water quality must be pure, such as distilled or rain water. Tap water without filtration should generally be avoided.
Also, DO NOT use alkaline or Kangen water! This water with its added minerals has a very high pH, which is exactly what you do not want for sundews or another carnivorous plants. Sundews need to be provided with as mineral-free water as possible. [6]
A shallow water tray can be placed under the pot but water level should never cover the crown of new growth in the center of the plant. Still, change the water frequently.
Soil must be well drained
No
Light Conditions
- Full sun
- Partial sun
Additional Lighting Information
Mikinalo, as with most sundews, do best in very bright light or full early morning sun. Best to avoid the hottest sun in afternon. Remember to keep the pots moist or wet at all times.
Spacing Information
Not a critical factor, but perhaps a three or so a few inches a part to show case each plant.
Tolerances
- Waterlogged Soil
Limitations
Not a general landscape plant.
These plants should never be grown in the average commercial potting soil. Many contain fertilizers and other non-essential ingredients that will kill sundews. Because sundews (Drosera spp.) grow in nirogen deficient and nutrient poor soils, please keep in mind that they primarily get their nutrients from the prey they capture and digest and not from the soil. [5]
Rather, use an equal mixture of peat moss and perlite, or peat moss and/or horticultural sand.*
* Never use beach sand or builders sand, which retain salts and will guarantee a speedy death for these salt-sensitive plants!
Please see Special Growing Needs below.
Special Growing Needs
Keep mikinalo above 60°F. If subjected to low enough temperatures for an extended time, dormancy could be encouraged. Plants can handle temperatures above 90°F. Though temperate forms of Drosera anglica will experience dormancy, the tropical forms such as those in the Hawaiian Islands, do not require this and can be grown year round. [2]
Aaron May notes a growing method for this tropical sundew. Citing Sherwin Carlqusit, he writes that "Most bogs in Hawai`i contain mud, small pockets of standing water, and tussocks formed from grasses and sedges (Carlquist 1970)." [2,5] May then adds, "This mud is basically comparable to waterlogged peat. Even though the non-native "sphagnum moss is only found in bogs on the Kohala bogs on the island of Hawaiʻi," tropical Drosera anglica still grow well in sphagnum moss." [2]
Certainly they are associated with sphagnum in many parts of their worldwide range. [1]
Aaron May says "a mix of 1 peat: 1 sand: 2 live sphagnum moss is my favorite mix. This keeps the plant healthy and allows the live sphagnum to thrive." [2]
Please see Growth Requirements.
Natural Range
- Kauaʻi
Natural Zones (Elevation in feet, Rainfall in inches)
No data available.
Habitat
- Terrestrial
Additional Habitat Information
This species (Drosera anglica) is a common species and ranges across the northern temperate regions of North America (Canada, Alaska), Europe, and Asia, but is found as far south as Spain, Japan, California, and the Hawaiian Islands.
Common in bogs on the island of Kauaʻi. Mikinalo, as with other sundews, are typically found growing in wet, nutrient deficient "soils." One source records a low elevation range of 555 feet (169 m). [4]
Special Features and Information
General Information
Mikinalo (Drosera anglica), a member of the Sundew family (Droseraceae), consists of about 200 species from temperate to tropical regions worldwide. This is the only carnivorous plant native to the Hawaiian Islands. The form found in the islands is distinct from those found in the northern hemisphere.
Etymology
The generic name is derived from the Greek droseros, dewy, refers to the reddish dew-like droplets on the leaves produced by the glandular hairs.
The specific epithet anglica is Latin for England, scientifically described by William Hudson in 1778, London, England. [1,3]
Hawaiian Name:
Mikinalo literally means "to suck flies."
Background Information
This interesting plant is indigenous and likely got to the Hawaiian Islands by seeds embedded in the muddy feet of migrant shorebirds from Alaska, such as Lesser golden-plover (Pluvialis dominica). [5]
Sundews produce droplets that ensnare insect prey to extract and digest the nutrients from their tiny victims.
The plants from Kauaʻi are smaller and more compact plants compared to other D. anglica forms. Too, they do not experience a winter dormancy as do the northern plants.
So, Here's the Drama:
The leaves of sundews are covered with mucilaginous (sticky) glands, uh, we'll call " tentacles." These tentacles are used to attract, trap and digest arthropods (insects, spiders). The insect, let's say a gnat, is initially attracted by the bright red dots of dew. The gnat, thinking this will be a nectar source, alights on the viscous leaf only to find it has been duped into false hope. Perhaps only a leg or two get stuck and may be able to get away unharmed. But as the gnat struggles, another leg is entrapped, and another. Then the wings, the abdomen and finally becomes so bogged down with the gluey dewy leaf that it can hardly move. The tentacles begin slowly and methodically folding over the gnat. You can actually witness the movement of the tentacles. It will eventually totally cover the critter in what looks like a "gnats-in-a-blanket." This is done for maximum digestion. But by this time, the unfortunate gnat has died of exhaustion or asphyxiation. Sadly, the gnat will never be able to learn from its mistake. Once the sundew has digested its prey, the leaf will unfurl, leaving only the exoskelaton (bugs wear their skelaton on the outside) to be washed off by rain or blown away by the wind. The tentacled leaf produces more beautiful red dots of anthropod-terror, now ready for another naive victim.
Modern Use
This species is currently being grown by few individuals, but quite frankly, as a novelty.
Mikinalo does not appear to have any commercial landscape value. However, it is such a fascinating plant that it is hoped that our native form will be grown more.
These carnivorous plants do well in an indoor environment in Hawaii with sufficient moisture, food, and lighting.
Additional References
[1] "Drosera anglica Huds. (English sundew): A Technical Conservation Assessment" by Evan C. Wolf, Edward Gage, and David J. Cooper, Ph.D., pages 10-11.
[2] GrowSundews.com http://www.growsundews.com/sundews/anglica_tropicals.html#Habitat_Information
[3] "Celebrating Wildflowers, Plant of the Week" http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/drosera_anglica.shtml [Accessed 8/3/11]
[4] "Back to the Future in Caves of Kauaʻi--A Scientist's Adventures in the Dark" by David A. Burney, pages 71-72.
[5] "Hawaii: A Natural History" by Sherwin Carlquist, pages 88, 347, 349, 351.
[6] Sarracenia Northwest, Jeff Dallas http://www.cobraplant.com/
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