Sundew Rosette

Day 333: The primary motivation behind any kayaking trip on Lake St. Clair is paying a visit to my "kids," the burgeoning Sundews which have colonized two breakwater logs on either side of Jack's dock. Jack, the homeowner whose last name is unknown to me, sometimes comes down to the shore for a chat, and always assures me that he's taking good care of them (even if he does refer to them as "those Venus Fly-trap things"). Part of his maintenance is to keep the logs free of other growth which might snuff them out. To this end, he goes out on the logs on foot, cutting small alders and rooting out Pseudacorus as well as other weedy species, but unfortunately, this means that there is always a certain amount of attrition in the Sundew population as a trade-off for his diligence. If the Sundews were any less numerous, this would give me cause for concern, but they are doing well, and each year, I see new colonies springing up as they gradually claim more of the logs as their own. They obviously like the habitat, as evidenced by this year's crop of seed capsules.