Saponins are a class of natural compounds found in many plant species, that typically taste bitter. They are characterised by their amphiphilic nature, which means they have both hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties, due to the presence of a hydrophobic triterpene or steroidal sapogenin backbone and one or more hydrophilic sugar molecules attached to it. Saponins play a protective role in plants, serving as a natural defence mechanism against predators and pathogens.
Saponins are a class of chemical compounds found in particular abundance in various plant species. More specifically, they are amphipathic glycosides
Julia is a writer and landscape consultant from Wollongong with a love of horticulture. She had been an avid gardener for over 30 years, collects rare variegated plants and is a home orchardist. Julia is passionate about learning and sharing her knowledge of plant propagation and plant toxicology. Whether it’s giving advice on landscape projects or sharing tips on growing, Julia enjoys helping people make their gardens flourish.
Snake plant (Dracaena trifasciata syn. Sansevieria trifasciata) is toxic to dogs. The toxic principle is saponins which cause gastrointestinal disturbances in dogs. Saponins are a bitter, soapy substance that protects the plant from herbivory as well as fungal and insect attacks.
Julia is a writer and landscape consultant from Wollongong with a love of horticulture. She had been an avid gardener for over 30 years, collects rare variegated plants and is a home orchardist. Julia is passionate about learning and sharing her knowledge of plant propagation and plant toxicology. Whether it’s giving advice on landscape projects or sharing tips on growing, Julia enjoys helping people make their gardens flourish.
Julia is a writer and landscape consultant from Wollongong with a love of horticulture. She had been an avid gardener for over 30 years, collects rare variegated plants and is a home orchardist. Julia is passionate about learning and sharing her knowledge of plant propagation and plant toxicology. Whether it’s giving advice on landscape projects or sharing tips on growing, Julia enjoys helping people make their gardens flourish.
Julia is a writer and landscape consultant from Wollongong with a love of horticulture. She had been an avid gardener for over 30 years, collects rare variegated plants and is a home orchardist. Julia is passionate about learning and sharing her knowledge of plant propagation and plant toxicology. Whether it’s giving advice on landscape projects or sharing tips on growing, Julia enjoys helping people make their gardens flourish.
Cold stratification is a pre-treatment process applied to seeds before they are sown, either in the ground or in pots. This process is essential for certain plant species native to cold regions, as it helps break seed dormancy. By simulating the cold, damp conditions of winter, stratification signals the seeds to germinate once the soil warms up in the spring.
The name “stratification” was used because seeds used to be layered (stratified) between two layers of moist soil and then exposed to cold. Some gardeners refer to stratification as cold treatment.
Julia is a writer and landscape consultant from Wollongong with a love of horticulture. She had been an avid gardener for over 30 years, collects rare variegated plants and is a home orchardist. Julia is passionate about learning and sharing her knowledge of plant propagation and plant toxicology. Whether it’s giving advice on landscape projects or sharing tips on growing, Julia enjoys helping people make their gardens flourish.
English and Spanish bluebells are two species of spring flowering bulbs belonging to the Hyacinthoides genus.
Although both species share similarities, there are several differences between them. We take a look at the difference between English and Spanish bluebells.
Julia is a writer and landscape consultant from Wollongong with a love of horticulture. She had been an avid gardener for over 30 years, collects rare variegated plants and is a home orchardist. Julia is passionate about learning and sharing her knowledge of plant propagation and plant toxicology. Whether it’s giving advice on landscape projects or sharing tips on growing, Julia enjoys helping people make their gardens flourish.
Castor oil plant (Ricinus communis) is toxic to dogs, the toxic principle is a glycoprotein known as ricin, which inhibits ribosomal protein synthesis, leading to cellular death as well as acute liver and kidney failure.
Julia is a writer and landscape consultant from Wollongong with a love of horticulture. She had been an avid gardener for over 30 years, collects rare variegated plants and is a home orchardist. Julia is passionate about learning and sharing her knowledge of plant propagation and plant toxicology. Whether it’s giving advice on landscape projects or sharing tips on growing, Julia enjoys helping people make their gardens flourish.
Common names: Spoon-leaf sundew, sundew, rosy sundew, common sundew
Plant type: Rhizomatous herb
Flower colour: White, pale pink
Bloom time: Late winter, early spring
Sun exposure: Bright, indirect light to part shade
Humidity: 50-75%
Soil pH: Moderately acidic 5.5 to 6.5
Mature height: 2 cm
Flower size: 2.5 cm
Soil type: Sandy, boggy heath
Habitat: Bushland, sandstone heathland
Difficulty level: Easy
Botanical name meaning
Jacques-Julien Labillardière gave the spoon-leaf sundew its botanical name in 1804 from a plant collected in Tasmania.
Drosera – From the Greek word droseros which means dewy, referring to the glandular droplets on the leaf
spatulata – From the Latin word spatulate, which means shaped like a spatula, referring to the spoon-shaped leaves
What is a spoon-leaf sundew?
Also known as rosy sundew, spoon-leaf sundew (Drosera spatulata) is an insectivorous species of plant belonging to the family Droseraceae, one of the largest genera of carnivorous plants containing over 90 species. Its distribution ranges from Southeast Asia, southern China, Japan, Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, eastern Australia, and New Zealand.
The spatula-shaped leaves of spoon-leaf sundew grow in a characteristic low-growing rosette formation, hence the term rosetted sundew. Glandular trichomes are present on the upper surface of the leaf and produce a mucopolysaccharide droplet to attract and trap insects and sessile glands that secrete enzymes to break down and digest their prey. When the insect lands on a leaf, the tentacles respond to the touch by bending inwards trapping the prey, in a process known as thigmonasty. Insects serve as a secondary food source to the nutrient-poor soil the spoon-leaf sundew grows.
Leaf colour can range from green to red depending on the amount of sunlight the plants get. White or pale pink self-pollinating flowers up to 6 mm across develop on a long spike from spring to winter, followed by small, black fruit that contains seeds.
Sundew flower stalk
Habitat
Spoon-leaf sundew is commonly found growing in bright, indirect light to part shade in open boggy heath, with acidic, sandy soi
Plants will lose their leaves during dry or overly cold periods. I have witnessed large numbers of spoon-leaf sundews locally that completely vanish during the warmer months. The rhizome remains underground in a dormant state until favourable conditions return.
Care
As long as the plant’s basic needs are met, spoon-leaf sundew is an easy and interesting plant for the green thumb. Spoon-leaf sundews grow naturally in nutrient-poor soil. A succulent mix or sphagnum moss is the preferred growing medium.
Spoon-leaf sundews grow in full sun to part shade and require frequent watering to keep the soil moist at all times. It can help to sit the pot in a saucer with water to keep moisture levels and humidity up. Only use distilled water or rainwater that is low in salts and minerals.
Can be grown outside year-round in tropical climates, but should be brought indoors in areas prone to frost.
Propagation
Spoon-leaf sundew is readily propagated from seed which should be sown in early to mid-spring as the days become longer and temperatures warm.
Frequently asked questions
How big do spoon-leaf sundews get?
Spoon-leaf sundew grows to a width of 2.5 – 5 cm
Are sundews toxic to humans and pets?
Sundews are non-toxic to humans and pets.
Where can I buy a spoon-leaf sundew?
Specialist nurseries often sell sundews, especially during the winter months. Native plants are protected, and should not be removed from the wild.
Julia is a writer and landscape consultant from Wollongong with a love of horticulture. She had been an avid gardener for over 30 years, collects rare variegated plants and is a home orchardist. Julia is passionate about learning and sharing her knowledge of plant propagation and plant toxicology. Whether it’s giving advice on landscape projects or sharing tips on growing, Julia enjoys helping people make their gardens flourish.
Floriography is the language of flowers, which has been practised in traditional cultures throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa. Interest soared in Victorian England when Lady Mary Wortley, an English poet and aristocrat wrote a letter expounding on the “Secret Language of Flowers” that she had discovered in Turkey. In a letter to a friend, Lady Wortley writes;
“There is no colour, no flower, no weed, no fruit, herb, pebble, or feather that has not a verse belonging to it: and you may quarrel, reproach, or send letters of passion, friendship, or civility, or even of news, without ever inking your fingers”. Over the course of the century, the rumors became interest, and then practice. Until, by the early 19th century, the development of a formalized Language of Flowers had occurred. This took the form of a dictionary of symbolic meanings assigned to individual flowers, which thus became generally known to society as a method of silent communication.“
Julia is a writer and landscape consultant from Wollongong with a love of horticulture. She had been an avid gardener for over 30 years, collects rare variegated plants and is a home orchardist. Julia is passionate about learning and sharing her knowledge of plant propagation and plant toxicology. Whether it’s giving advice on landscape projects or sharing tips on growing, Julia enjoys helping people make their gardens flourish.
Pothos is toxic to dogs, the toxic principle is insoluble calcium oxalate crystals known as raphides that penetrate the oral mucosa causing acute pain and burning. Insoluble calcium oxalate crystals are created by crystal idioblasts and are commonly arranged in bundles known as raphides. The function of insoluble calcium oxalate crystals is to protect the plants from herbivory as well as calcium regulation.
Julia is a writer and landscape consultant from Wollongong with a love of horticulture. She had been an avid gardener for over 30 years, collects rare variegated plants and is a home orchardist. Julia is passionate about learning and sharing her knowledge of plant propagation and plant toxicology. Whether it’s giving advice on landscape projects or sharing tips on growing, Julia enjoys helping people make their gardens flourish.
