Flower profile
Tracy's sundew
Drosera tracyi
Tracy's sundew (Drosera tracyi) is a flowering plant in the Droseraceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly April–May across the U.S.
Tracy's sundew is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Mississippi it's most often seen in bloom in April–May.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Mississippi
Quick look
Drosera filiformis, commonly known as the thread-leaved sundew, is a small, insectivorous, rosette-forming species of perennial herb. A species of sundew, it is unusual within its genus in that the long, erect, filiform (thread-like) leaves of this plant unroll in spirals – an arrangement similar to the circinate vernation seen in ferns.
- 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 7 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Mississippi. NatureServe
- In Mississippi, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 298 research-grade sightings of it in Mississippi, ranking #100 among the 154 flowers on our Mississippi list. iNaturalist
When does it bloom?
In Mississippi, most flowering sightings come in April–May.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G3 Vulnerable worldwide. NatureServe
- Mississippi
- No list Mississippi has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Mississippi ranks instead. NatureServe: S3, vulnerable in Mississippi.
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: GA (S1), LA (SH). (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.
Please don't pick or dig this flower: NatureServe ranks it S3 in Mississippi. NatureServe
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.
🌿 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 tracy's sundew in 7 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas.
Mississippi counties with USDA records: George, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Stone.
Names, range and relatives
County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 32 counties across 6 states; the most are in Florida (14), Georgia (7), Mississippi (5).
Other Drosera on Bloomipedia (4): Round-leaved sundew, Pink sundew, Spoonleaf sundew, Dwarf sundew.
More from the Droseraceae family (5 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Venus flytrap.
More Mississippi flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile DRTR4.
- iNaturalist, Drosera tracyi: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Drosera filiformis (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Mississippi: Mississippi Noxious Weed List (2 Miss. Code R. 1-3-01-136.01).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Drosera tracyi (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Lauren McLaurin via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.