In August 2026, a researcher named Noah Juve changed the name of a special plant. This plant is the Florida threadleaf sundew. Before, scientists thought it was just a type of another plant. Now, it is a new species called Drosera floridana. This plant only grows in two counties in the Florida Panhandle: Washington and Bay. However, the plant is in danger because people are building new houses in its home.
The Florida threadleaf sundew looks very beautiful but it is also dangerous. Its leaves are bright red and look like thin threads with small spirals. The name Drosera comes from a Greek word that means "dewy." The plant has small, sticky drops on its leaves. These drops look like morning dew, but they are actually traps for small insects. When an insect touches the plant, the sticky drops catch it. Then, the plant wraps its leaves around the insect. It uses special liquids to eat the insect. This helps the plant get food because the soil in its home has very few nutrients.
This plant is very rare in the United States. It only lives in a very small area near sinkhole lakes. It grows on the sandy edges where the water meets the dry land. There are only about 20 sinkhole lakes in the area that have the right conditions. Only about 12 of these lakes have the plant today. Because the plant needs such specific places, it cannot move to new areas. As more people build houses in the Florida Panhandle, the plant is losing its home. Scientists want to protect the 12 remaining populations before they disappear forever.