New carnivorous plant discovered in Bavaria - Lost for 30 Years: Rare Carnivorous Plant Rediscovered in Bavaria

New Carnivorous Plant Discovered in Bavaria

New carnivorous plant discovered in Bavaria

New carnivorous plant discovered in Bavaria

December 16, 2025

First found over three decades ago but only now revealed to the public, the Bavarian sundew is a remarkable discovery. Why is this find so extraordinary?

A stroke of luck has brought to light a newly identified carnivorous plant from Bavaria—more than 30 years after its initial discovery. Researchers at the Bavarian Natural History Collections (SNSB) in Munich announced the Bavarian sundew, scientifically named Drosera ×bavarica. The specimen was uncovered in the estate of a late botanist, making the find all the more special for several reasons.

New plant species are exceedingly rare in Central Europe, Germany, and Bavaria. What makes the Bavarian sundew particularly unique is that it is not a distinct species but a natural hybrid—a cross between the great sundew (Drosera anglica) and the intermediate sundew (Drosera intermedia). "Laboratory experiments in Japan as early as 1973 confirmed that such a hybrid was possible," explained the experts. Yet until now, no one had ever documented this hybrid occurring in the wild.

A small bog in southern Bavaria

The discovery itself dates back even further: a Munich-based botanist had collected and preserved a specimen from a small bog in southern Bavaria over 30 years ago.

After his death, the expert—who specialized in carnivorous plants—bequeathed his collection to the SNSB. It was there, among the herbarium sheets, that an SNSB botanist identified the sundew hybrid.

According to the SNSB, the botanist had recognized the plant's significance at the time, even labeling it Drosera ×bavarica on the preserved sheet. However, he had not lived long enough to formally describe it scientifically.