Tropical Sundews - Drosera

Sundews come in many sizes and shapes but some are much hardier and forgiving. Watering is super easy on these; always standing on a saucer of (rain/purified/ro-) water. Fungus gnats, fruit flies and house flies are mainly on their dinner plate.

Where to Grow: Many tropical sundews can be quite adaptable. A sure-fire way to keep them is indoors as a tropical houseplant on a sunny windowsill. Regardless of where you grow them, always protect tropical sundews from freezing temperatures. Tropical sundews originate from warm climates of the world. South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and South America are all hotspots for tropical Drosera. In their native habitat, frost never or rarely occurs, and it never snows. Their preferred habitat is mostly open, wet fields, or cliff-side seeps with thin, weak soil where they can get lots of sunlight.

Sunlight: Provide partial sunlight (several hours of direct sunlight with bright filtered light the remainder of the day). Avoid full shade. Excessive sun can burn them if they arent adjusted to it. Most tropical species  can be acclimated to more extreme heat and longer hours of direct sun over time, but many prefer cooler temperatures provided indoors during the summer. 

Artificial Lights: If a sunny window is not possible, you can use strong fluorescent lights (a minimum of 40 watts in actual output). Start with the lights approximately 12 inches above the plant. Monitor your plant and adjust the height of the light source if you are not satisfied with its growth. Use an electrical timer to maintain a photoperiod (consistent daylight hours - 14 hours is sufficient throughout the year).

Water: All sundews require mineral-free water. If your tap water is relatively pure (less than 50 parts per million in dissolved minerals), then you can safely water your sundews with it. Otherwise, you can use rain, distilled, or reverse osmosis bottled water. Keep the soil wet at all times. You can do this by setting the plant in small amounts of standing water, up to halfway up the pot.

Soil and fertilization: Use a 1:1 mix of peat moss and perlite. Never use potting soil, compost or fertilizer; they will kill your plant. They can be fed small insects or moistened blood worms from the pet store. Tropical sundews are as weird and wonderful as carnivorous plants can get. They come in a plethora of shapes, sizes, and colors, and most are surprisingly simple to keep! Below are a few of the most common tropical sundew species you might find in cultivation:

Drosera capensis

Drosera aliciae

Drosera spatulata

Drosera x Marston's Dragon

Drosera scorpioides

Drosera regia

While there are certain characteristics to each variety, the general care is the same for all of them. Use the following guide as a general rule to growing tropical sundews.