Which is easier to care for, Drosera rotundifolia or Drosera anglica?

Drosera rotundifolia: You can provide a genuine cold winter dormancy — outdoors or a fridge. Drosera anglica: You want a taller, more upright bog sundew for the same planter

Plant Comparison

Drosera Rotundifolia vs Anglica

Rotundifolia and anglica are the two sundews native to cold-temperate bogs across the Northern Hemisphere, and unlike capensis or adelae, both genuinely need a cold winter dormancy to survive — skip it and the plant weakens and dies within a year or two. The difference between them is mostly leaf shape and size: rotundifolia's round leaves versus anglica's long, upright, narrow ones.

Drosera rotundifolia

The classic round-leaved sundew of Northern Hemisphere bogs. Small, cold-hardy, and requires a genuine winter dormancy to thrive long-term.

Photo: T. Kebert / CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Drosera anglica

Taller, narrow-leaved bog sundew, often found in colder or higher-altitude sites than rotundifolia. Also requires winter dormancy and is slower-growing.

Side-by-Side Comparison

CategoryDrosera rotundifoliaDrosera anglica

🍃 Leaf shapeRound, on a long thin petioleLong, narrow, upright, no distinct petiole

📏 SizeRosette 3–5 cm acrossLeaves to 6–10 cm, more upright habit

❄️ DormancyEssential — true winter rest below 5°CEssential — same cold winter requirement

🌡️ Cold hardinessVery hardy — survives freezing under snow coverVery hardy, often found in colder sites

💧 WateringTray method, pure water year-round except dormancyTray method, pure water

📈 Growth rate★Slow to moderateSlower than rotundifolia

🏡 Indoor suitabilityDifficult — needs an outdoor or fridge dormancyDifficult — same requirement

🦟 Prey caughtSmall insects — gnats, small flies★Slightly larger prey with longer leaves

🛒 Availability★Common among specialist growersLess common than rotundifolia

🎯 Difficulty★Intermediate — dormancy is the hard partIntermediate to hard

Choose Drosera rotundifolia if…

✓You can provide a genuine cold winter dormancy — outdoors or a fridge
✓You want the small, classic round-leaved bog sundew look
✓You are building a temperate bog planter with sphagnum moss
✓You want the more widely available of the two

Choose Drosera anglica if…

✓You want a taller, more upright bog sundew for the same planter
✓You already grow rotundifolia successfully and want a second species
✓You have a colder climate or unheated space for winter dormancy
✓You prefer narrow, strap-like leaves to round ones

What They Have in Common

•Both are temperate bog sundews that require a true cold dormancy to survive long-term
•Both are unsuitable as permanent windowsill plants without a dormancy period
•Both need pure water and acidic, nutrient-poor bog substrate
•Both are much harder to keep long-term indoors than tropical sundews like capensis

The Verdict

These are not beginner houseplants — both require a real winter dormancy, which usually means growing them outdoors in a bog planter or giving them a deliberate cold rest in a fridge. If this is your first temperate sundew, rotundifolia is more widely available and slightly more forgiving; anglica suits a grower already comfortable managing dormancy.

⭕ Drosera rotundifolia

Drosera rotundifolia

📏 Drosera anglica

Drosera anglica

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