Oregon’s Drosera rotundifolia (almost) in Bloom!

So it wasn’t until after we revisited the site again this Saturday that I realized my mistake. I was certain that after seeing all of those flower buds ready to burst on our first visit, that my partner and I would be in for a real treat when we returned almost a week later. Much to my dismay, on our second visit, not one single Drosera rotundifolia was in bloom…

Upon re-inspecting the plants, I discovered that what I originally thought were flower buds are actually the pale-green backsides of new pads coming up.

Behind these sticky pads are shoots in three different stages of development: newly erect, slightly unfurled, and unfurled.

This is what the flower buds actually look like:

Delicate flower buds of Drosera rotundifolia

The buds were actually really close on this visit, so hopefully by the time we make it back next weekend, we won’t have missed the flowers. Fortunately, even though we have to wait another week to see Drosera’s floral show, the trip wasn’t a complete waste. Because we didn’t get lost on the way to the site this trip (thank goodness!), my partner and I had a lot of extra time to explore around. What we found was pretty impressive. The population was much, much, larger than we thought, spanning several yards and hosting several thousand  (if not over 1 million) plants in the wetland.

A knoll in a very small part of the populated area. Everything pink you see in this picture is Drosera!

We also found a pretty blue moth being digested on top of a clump of Drosera:

This poor little guy never had a chance.

After that, we came upon a dragonfly dipping quickly up and down in flight, laying eggs in an especially wet part of the marsh. I almost had the camera out when zip!, he flew into some sundews and got stuck!

This dragonfly narrowly escaped becoming a meal for the Drosera in the background!

Luckily, after a short struggle, the dragonfly freed himself. But because he had landed on the Drosera face-first, he had the sticky dew all over his legs and promptly stuck himself to some tall grass. Thankfully he eventually buzzed off, sticky legs and all!

In another area, I found this little dude when he scurried away from me while I was snapping some pics of Cascade lilies:

A lizard hiding under some dead branches at the base of a tree.

Overall, it was a pretty kick-ass day. Carnivorous plants, lizards, and good company. What more could a girl ask for?