Flower profile

Spoonleaf sundew

Drosera intermedia

Spoonleaf sundew (Drosera intermedia) is a flowering plant in the Droseraceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly July–August across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Spoonleaf sundew is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in July–August.

31states where USDA records it

2Bloomipedia state lists include it

8,771U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Maine, New Jersey

Quick look

Drosera intermedia, commonly known as the oblong-leaved sundew, spoonleaf sundew, or spatulate leaved sundew, is an insectivorous plant species belonging to the sundew genus. It is a temperate or tropical species native to Europe, southeastern Canada, the eastern half of the United States, Cuba, Hispaniola, and northern South America.
From Wikipedia's article Drosera intermedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Droseraceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 31 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to New Jersey and Maine. ^NatureServe
iNaturalist has 1,806 research-grade sightings of it in New Jersey, ranking #53 among the 186 flowers on our New Jersey list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 706 research-grade sightings of it in Maine, ranking #100 among the 160 flowers on our Maine list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (174 records)

Bloom time in the 2 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
New Jersey	Native	few records (28)	1,806
Maine	Native	few records (21)	706

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
New Jersey: Not listed Not on New Jersey Endangered Plant Species List (N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in New Jersey. ^{N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1}
Maine: Not listed Not on Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Maine. ^{Maine rare plant list}
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: ID (S1), IL (S2), KY (S1), LA (S2), OH (S1), TN (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records spoonleaf sundew in 31 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin.

New Jersey counties with USDA records: Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Passaic, Salem, Sussex.

Maine counties with USDA records: Androscoggin, Aroostook, Cumberland, Franklin, Hancock, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Oxford, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Sagadahoc, Somerset, Waldo, Washington, York.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native; St. Pierre and Miquelon: Native.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 314 counties across 28 states; the most are in Michigan (38), New York (32), Wisconsin (30).

Other Drosera on Bloomipedia (4): Round-leaved sundew, Pink sundew, Dwarf sundew, Tracy's sundew.

More from the Droseraceae family (5 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Venus flytrap.

More New Jersey flowers

Roses (genus Rosa)

Rosa

★ NY state flower🌷 Garden flower

🌼 Blooms in NJ: May–July

Garlic mustard

Alliaria petiolata

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in NJ: April–May

Striped wintergreen

Chimaphila maculata

Native

🌼 Blooms in NJ: June–July

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile DRIN3.
iNaturalist, Drosera intermedia: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Drosera intermedia (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
New Jersey: New Jersey Endangered Plant Species List (N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1).
New Jersey: New Jersey prohibited invasive plant species (Invasive Species Management Act; propagation banned from Jan 1, 2027, sale from Jan 1, 2030).
Maine: Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories.
Maine: Maine Do Not Sell invasive plant list (01-001 C.M.R. ch. 273).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Drosera intermedia (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Laura Gaudette via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.