Drosera graniticola is a species that is especially known for its prolific flowering. The numerous white blooms are relatively long lived, with each plant capable of producing over 15 concurrently open flowers. A distinctive feature is the immature anthers, which are bright pink before splitting open to present the yellow pollen. As its specific name suggests, this ‘Priority 4’ rare species is restricted to a few granite outcrops in Western Australia’s Wheatbelt region, where it inhabits the winter-wet drainage fields surrounding the rocks. At certain locations, the species grows in very high densities, coloring entire fields with its characteristic bronze sheen.
Drosera graniticola is distinguishable from other erect species by its colour, which has a distinctively greyish tone. The main stem usually divides into a few sub stems near the top of the plant. In the wild, it is distinguished from its sympatric species by its crescent lamina (as opposed to the orbicular laminae of Drosera macrantha, D. stricticaulis) and lack of a basal rosette in mature specimens (Strong basal rosette in D. andersoniana and yilgarnensis).
A field of Drosera graniticola. The species is best known for its en mass displays of white blooms in the spring.
A single plant of Drosera graniticola showing how many flowers the species can produce. The stems are a characteristic greyish green with coppery leaves that can get rather red towards the end of the growing season.
A close up of the flowers of Drosera graniticola showing the unique bright pink immature anthers.
A large field of Drosera graniticola occupying a swampy drainage field of a large granite outcrop. These displays are particularly attractive when they catch the low afternoon sun and give the entire area a lustrous glow.
