Roundleaf Catchfly

This is a rare gem in the wild these days due to habitat loss, making it an important one to cultivate in your garden. The flower of this plant is very long, so it attracts long-tongued pollinators like butterflies and hummingbirds. This plant blooms into a stunning red flower, which also makes it unique as there are not many flowers, especially natives, that bloom bright red. Although the coloring is unique, its carnivorous nature is truly its most interesting attribute. 

It is called a catchfly because it does just that: catches flies. The stems and leaves of this plant are sticky and smaller insects get stuck on the plant where they eventually die. It is not healthy to have dead and rotting insects all over the plant, so it secretes digestive enzymes to break down the insect bodies quickly. The world of plants can be a vicious place. 

Plant the roundleaf catchfly in fall or very early spring.