"The giant sundew," indeed! There are over 90 species of sundew. He did no yet understand why. Hmm… would these be considered Prince Sundews? known as the spoon-leaved sundew because of its' wee spoon-shaped leaves. A overview of my entire carnivorous collection, this includes sundews, sarracenia and venus fly traps. Since individual leaves fan out from the central growth point, you can end up with 4 foot sundews! Aglaonema. Rorella Hill. Growing Carnivorous Plants: Learn About Various Types Of Carnivorous Plants, Carnivorous Plant Gardens: How To Grow A Carnivorous Garden Outside, Sphagnum Moss Vs. Sphagnum Peat Moss: Are Sphagnum Moss And Peat Moss The Same, Planting A Giving Garden: Food Bank Garden Ideas, Giving To Food Deserts – How To Donate To Food Deserts, December To-Do List – What To Do In December Gardens, Cinnamon Fern Plant Info: How To Grow A Cinnamon Fern, Jupiter’s Beard Plant Care – Tips On Growing And Caring For Red Valerian, Weeping Cherry Growing Tips – Learn About The Care Of Weeping Cherries, Goldenrod Care: Information And Tips For How To Grow Goldenrod Plants, Recipes From The Garden: Pressure Cooking Root Vegetables, Gratitude For The Garden – Being Grateful For Each Growing Season, 7 Reasons To Do Your Garden Shopping Locally, Thankful Beyond Words – What Represents Gratefulness In My Garden. Drosophyllum lusitanicum is the only species in its genus. There are a few different types of these plants to choose from, and they require a slightly different maintenance plan than a traditional houseplant. Place the container in a lit area and swap in fresh water if algae begins to grow. It's quick to grow, quick to self-propagate, and produces dew like it's going out of style. Maxsea is a good option. There is only one King Sundew – Drosera regia (you didn’t think a king would share his throne, did you?). Are we missing a species, hybrid, subspecies, or plant variety? Dionea muscipula, Venus fly trap, conjures memories of the little man-eating plant we all had or heard of as children. Drosera capensis 'Narrow Leaf' is an incredibly hearty sundew that I have found hard [...]. Grow these plants in a very sunny windowsill. Their green and red leaves are covered with glistening droplets of mucilage that sparkle in the sunlight. The real difference with rosetted tuberous sundews is that they form flat, rounded leaves radiating from the center of the plant that stay pressed against the ground. The plants are also attractive, often brightly colored rosettes. This site uses cookies to provide the best user experience possible: Drosera Madagascarensis – Carnivorous plant, Drosera capensis “Montague Pass” GIANT CLONE, Tropical Drosera Capensis, Cape Sundew “Typical”, Tropical Drosera Capensis, Cape Sundew “Alba”, Tropical Drosera Capensis, Cape Sundew “All Red”, Drosera intermedia, Spoonleaf Sundew “NJ Pine Barrens”. You can choose to separate these clumps and repot them towards the tail-end of their dormancy period. Visit FlytrapCare.com for … It’s a 1-2-3 combo of carnivorous cousins! See our tuberous sundew section for growing tips. A truly international plant, the Drosera genus is the most diverse of all carnivores with nearly two hundred different Sundew species and hybrids found globally. The multitude of dew drops (healthy plants can have hundreds of dew drops) make the sundew a breathtaking beauty and a sticky death trap for small insects. Leaf Deformities. This is risky for a beginner and not recommended. Frequently as easy to grow as Cape sundews, many of this species can be propagated from root cuttings, are tolerant of brief freezes into the 20’s and have thick sprout-happy roots that will regenerate growth points after a freeze kills the crown of the plant. The Sundews or Drosera are a large group of carnivorous plants containing over 170 different species found from the tropics to near polar conditions. They do well in bright warm and cool greenhouses between the mid-forties and low-seventies. I’ve grown many species with great success in direct, sunny Southern California light. Once a bug is ensnared in the dew, the hairs slowly wrap around and bind it in place. This can produce a fun vine-like effect that, if wound around other carnivorous plants, makes every square inch of the combined plants an insect death trap. They're easy to grow, producing bountiful flowers atop long flower stalks and thousands of seeds - often becoming weeds growing amongst your other carnivores. For dormancy, let the soil dry out for 2 months, then lightly dampen for one month until growth restarts at which point you’ll want to switch over to the water tray method. They produce ground-level basal rosettes and one-or-more stems that can reach 6 inches in height. After a few leaves have formed, remove the humidity dome and place in a sunny location. The Latin name literally translates to "spatula shaped." In reality, the drops of “dew” are actually sweet smelling and sticky drops of mucilage that the plant secretes in order to attract its prey. Whether you grow them indoors or out, carnivorous sundew plants are excellent for controlling gnats and other tiny insects. The plant has stalked glands across its leaves. Full sun situations suit the plant best, but you can also grow them in dappled light. The plant has tiny arms or stems covered at the tips with sticky filaments. They are impressive plants that form stems from which grow long, narrow leaves up to two feet long. Physan works well against most fungi that attack carnivorous plants. This can be inexpensively purchased in most grocery stores, or you can invest in a reverse osmosis (RO) filtration system that hooks up to a sink (bonus – this also provides great drinking water for humans and pets). Cameron, in northeastern Tasmania. The Drosera genus is the most diverse of all carnivorous plants with nearly two hundred different Sundew species and hybrids found globally. Cuttings will result in larger plants faster than most seed-grown plants. Each gemma is attached to a tightly-coiled hair that, when struck by a raindrop, launches the gemma (up to several feet!) If you are looking for activities, classroom resources, games and gifts or carnivorous plants, let Carnivorous Plant Nursery supply your needs for venus flytraps, sundews, pitcher plants, butterworts, bog orchids and many more carnivorous plants. Carnivorous - Morning Dew Tropical Plants. These alien-looking plants lure and capture insects using a sticky substance secreted by specialized glands that cover the leaf’s surface. Plant Gallery The photos on the featured plant page are current photos from our most recent nursery visits. Below we’ll highlight each species: Cape Sundews grow year-round, but the crown, or growth point, will die back during freezes. Subscribe below to stay up to date on everything carnivorous plants! An unfortunately rare plant in the wild, there are only a few colonies known in South Africa. This species grows in climates with varying amounts of cold weather, but all die back to budded, hibernating growth points called hibernacula as a means to survive freezes. Drosera adelae is one queen from Queensland that can be a crown jewel in any collection. Grow in 2-parts washed sand to 1-part peat within drained plastic containers using the water tray method. From this robust root system sprouts growth points and traps that catch insects to feed energy back into the tuber. South African sundews have thick root systems that support those varieties of the species that have 3 month dormancy periods. Featured Plants a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p r s t y z. Acalypha. Truly bug nightmare material. Native to southern North... [ They grow well in large pots of 20% perlite to 80% part long-fibered sphagnum using the water tray method. The effect is beautiful – a shimmering sea of foliage. From Cape sundews, to subtropical sundews, temperate sundews, fork-leafed sundews, tropical sundews, woolly sundews, pygmy sundews, tuberous sundews, climbing tuberous sundews, fan-leafed tuberous sundews, rosetted tuberous sundews, South African Winter-growing sundews, and the King sundew, each is truly a one-of-a-kind plant with a unique beauty. Additional observations from German botanist Dr. W. A. Roth concluded that the tentacles did, in fact, move to increase surface area relative to an insect’s body. Sundews are widely distributed in tropical and temperate regions, especially in Australia, and are common in bogs and fens with sandy acidic soil. Drosera adelae, commonly known as the lance-leaved sundew or the Adelaide sundew, is a carnivorous plant in the genus Drosera that is endemic to Queensland, Australia. Many sundews will be fine in one pot for many years. Later on, the plant was also used as a love charm because of its power to lure and trap helpless insects. If you took a shrink-ray to a Drosera, you’d end up with the Pygmy Sundew. Leaf deformities are sometimes the result of natural causes. Cape Sundews hail from South Africa, and are some of the heartiest Drosera around. Lay the cut roots horizontally on soil and cover with another 1/2 inch of soil. You’ll get multiple plants, this way. Once greenery appears, remove the humidity dome and enjoy your new plants! They grow well in cool and warm greenhouses and terrariums, many enjoy bright windowsills, and can be happily cultivated outside in an almost frost-free environment. It is a beautiful and unusual specimen, and one of the few carnivorous plants that grows on the rainforest floor! The shorter list would include locations around the world where sundews aren’t found. Carnivorous plants are easy to grow, but there are a few things to understand before growing them. Carnivorous plants are meat eating plants that need the nutrients from their natural growing conditions, like air, water and soil, to live as well as the nutrients from … Of course, you also find sundews in the tropical wonderlands of Queensland and Brazil. Use these to cut loose one or more sundew leaves close to the plant’s main stem. You'll fall in love with the heart-leafed sundew, Drosera schizandra! Then we have the bogs of North America and Europe, and southern tips of South American and New Zealand. Connecting Carnivorous Plant Growers since 2008. The Complete Sundew (Drosera) Growing and Care Guide Sundews, also called Drosera, is another genus of carnivorous plants. Please visit our sponsors. When growing sundews outdoors, till soil completely and mix in sphagnum moss to increase the acidity. Even with the large array of reproductive methods employed by Drosera, seeds produced by flowers are often the most prolific means of propagation. To take root cuttings, remove the sundew from soil and simply cut off 1.5″-3″ of healthy roots. Most species do great in 1 part sand to 1 part peat, with a few exceptions preferring a sandier mix. One may look like teaspoons, another soup spoons... you get the idea. A carnivorous plant many people are familiar with it from childhood science classes, but for too many people the fascination with plants ended there. For drained pots, use water saucers to maintain soil moisture. are carnivorous plants with an ingenious way to catch their prey. Drosera capensis 'Narrow Leaf' This is your typical "common" capensis. Transplant them when they outgrow their pots. After a few weeks, you’ll notice bumps on the surface of the leaves which will turn into growing points. Even the darn pygmy plants want to kill you in Australia... Sundews are truly international plants. Not to worry – during the wetter winter months, these plant sprout back to life and asexually produce pinhead-sized gemmae (brood bodies) that cluster around the center of the plant. I've heard Drosera filiformis referred to as nature's anti-aircraft gun for its ability to snipe flying insects out of the air. Sundews, or Drosera, are beautiful & deadly carnivorous plants that lure insects with glistening dewdrops. Their soil is mostly sand (grow in 2-parts washed sand to 1-part peat) and dries out during the summer months causing the plants to go dormant. The members of Droseraceae family attract, arrest, and absorb insects through stalked mucilaginous glands spread over the surface of their leaves. These filaments secrete a substance that will not only catch small prey but will also digest them. In some species, like Drosera capensis, the entire leaf blade will fold over to increase surface contact with the prey. A few are tolerant of the rare frost, but your best served staying above 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit. To take leaf cuttings, first sterilize a razor blade or sharp shears (bonsai shears work great) using isopropyl alcohol. Most are great candidates for terrariums and enjoy bright florescent or LED lighting. Other outside causes … The shape, size, color, and mobility of the leaves vary across varieties yet each is densely covered with small tentacle-like hairs with singular drops of dew at their tips. The King’s thick roots frequently sprout offshoot plants of their own free will. Carnivorous plants are plants that capture, kill, and digest animal organisms. are carnivorous plants with an ingenious way to catch their prey. Sundews, Drosera sp., are truly beautiful Carnivorous Plants. Being such a diverse genus, sub-soil characteristics of sundews vary widely. Sundews are dainty, little plants glistening in the sun and much to the dismay of any unsuspecting insect, another notorious carnivorous plant. Fertilizing can burn roots and kill the plant, but advanced growers may foliar feed (applying only to the leaves of the plant) monthly with a diluted (1/4 strength) epiphytic or acid fertilizer. After sowing, stratify the seeds by providing several weeks of chilly, damp conditions. It took Charles Darwin himself to conclude the carnivorous nature of Drosera in his 1875 book Insectivorous Plants wherein he primarily studied Drosera rotundifolia. There are some varieties of Drosera that are more hardy than others. Alternative Title: Drosera Sundew, (genus Drosera), any of the approximately 152 carnivorous plant species of the genus Drosera (family Droseraceae). Some do better in long-fibered sphagnum moss. I’ve accepted there are are some plants I will only admire from afar, because I don’t want to deal with everything they need. Rossolis Adans. Sundews (Drosera spp.) Keep the soil moist, and the roots will take hold with the growth point developing into a full plant. away from the parent plant. Potted plants do not need fertilizer but do require either distilled or rainwater, as they are not tolerant of high levels of minerals. Growing in Western Australia, they are adapted to warm-temperate to subtropical and Mediterranean-like climates with hot, dry summers and cool winters ranging from 30-60 degrees Fahrenheit. New photos are added weekly. All Sundews capture prey by using glistening drops of “dew” for which the plant derives its common name. A monster of a forked sundew, D. binata dichotoma 'Giant' generates forked sundew leaves up to two feet long with four to twelve forks. All of these carnivorous plants in Australia do nothing to fight the stereotype that all wildlife in Australia wants to kill you…. Premium Carnivorous Plant Potting Soil Mix, All Natural Organic and Chemical Free Soil for Succulents, Cactus, Venus Fly Traps, Sundews and Pitcher Plants by Jessi Mae (1 Gallon (4 quarts)) Here are 2 great options of pre-made soil if you don't feel comfortable mixing it yourself. Click and drag around the map below for a preview of locations. As long as you keep your plants fed with bugs, they will be happy. Pollen from anthers needs to be transferred to the stigmas. Drosera capensis, commonly known as the Cape sundew, is a small rosette-forming carnivorous species of perennial sundew native to the Cape in South Africa.Because of its size, easy to grow nature, and the copious amounts of seed it produces, it has become one of the most common sundews in cultivation, and thus, one of the most frequently introduced and naturalised invasive Drosera species. Remember that some species have dormancy periods requiring soil to temporarily dry out. Sundews do great in tissue culture via sterilized seed and cuttings. A variety of sundew with pom-pom-like traps at the end of fuzzy leaf petioles, Woolly Sundews can be found in the warm, tropical climate of Northern Australia. Sundew plants thrive as potted plants in a mixture of sphagnum moss and vermiculite or perlite. Some will actually grow year round in wet conditions and do great in a soil of half peat to half sand. Luckily, the plants have extremely hearty roots that can survive brief drops to fifteen degrees. It is an archaic species and one of the oldest to survive to modern times. Sundews enjoy full-to-part sun. Growing sundews is common in terrariums or other warm, moist areas that mimic their natural bog habitat. On the topic of roots – Drosera regia don’t take kindly to being disturbed, so once established in large pots, leave them be for multiple years. Brighter conditions will promote brighter coloration in some species, genotype-permitting. A few tips on how to care for a sundew will have you on your way to enjoying this fascinating plant. Before ordering, take a few minutes and browse, be sure to scroll all the way down! The Sundews' unique carnivorous diet allows the plant to thrive in this niche by relying on the nitrogen and phosphorus from the insects for its nutrients, that non-carnivorous plants cannot obtain. After they have sprouted, transfer them to a new home in a pot with soil. You will discover Drosera on almost every continent, including places in Siberia and Alaska that you’d prefer to avoid as a warm-blooded mammal. This botanical oddity has been called the worlds most famous carnivorous plant, quite a title! Conditions span the spectrum – Mediterranean, tropical, sub-tropical, warm-temperate, temperate, and cold-temperate. Similar to “normal” tuberous sundews, the only real difference here is the climbing nature of the main stem off which the traps grow. Along with Drosera adelae and Drosera schizandra, it is one of the “Three Sisters from Queensland” as coined by Peter D'Amato in The Savage Garden. Finally, some good news for 2020 — at least if you like carnivorous plants. The arms fold in to hold the insect for four to six days until it is completely digested. These members of the family Droseraceae lure, capture, and digest insects using stalked … Keep them outdoors in cool, frostless climates, or indoors in warm and cool greenhouses. See the section “Seed creation” above for details on pollination and seed storage. Grow in bright, warm (60-90 degrees Fahrenheit) terrariums or greenhouses in 2-parts washed sand to 1-part peat using the tray watering method. Sundew flowers vary dramatically in seasonal timing, shape, size, quantity, and the amount of seed produced, but most are beautiful shades of white, pink, or red and all share common reproductive structures. The evaporation will help moisten the ambient air. Growing sundews is common in terrariums or other warm, moist areas that mimic their natural bog habitat. More details on that, below. It's more commonly called the thread-leaved sundew due to its slender, filamentous leaves that reach towards the sky in an effort to tempt low-altitude insects into taking a detour to Sticky Town. The best time to do this is during a normal repotting/transplantation towards the end of a dormancy period (if the plant has one). If you’d like to grow temperate sundews, make sure you know where they hail from and their seasonal preferences to maximize your success. The plants are also attractive, often brightly colored rosettes. Many sundews are easy for the beginner to care for, so if you're a new grower, consider starting with a sticky friend like Drosera capensis. They’ll grow happily in cool and warm greenhouses, terrariums, outdoors in pots and bog gardens in warm, sunny conditions, and will begrudgingly tolerate light frosts. With the bug immobilized, glands on the leaf secrete digestive enzymes and break down the insect’s soft tissues into absorbable nutrients. – Woah. We suggest using something like a toothpick for this. Rather than dying back to small dormant crowns to minimize water loss, they shift all energy underground and hibernate as pea-to-walnut-sized tubers. Cool and warm houses will meet most sundew needs, but consider the origins of your plant and if your greenhouse recreates preferred climate conditions. In more humid windowsills monstrous plants like Drosera multifida and D. regia will thrive. These brightly-colored bags of insect-derived energy have a small “eye” (imagine an eye on a potato) that sprouts a stolon/runner during autumn along which a thick root system develops. Drosera, usually famous as the sundews, encompasses one of the biggest varieties of carnivorous plants, having over 194 species. For those indoor plants that require dietary supplements, small ants, gnats and wingless fruit flies work well. – You do want a miniaturized carnivorous army to do your bidding, right? There are some exceptions, however – varieties like tuberous sundews will rarely produce seed in cultivation, and pygmy sundews can reproduce more prolifically from gemmae than seed. The leaves of the sundew are lined with hair-like structures or tentacles and on the tips of the tentacles are dewy drops that are thick and sticky. Subtropical species and cape sundews will handsomely adorn sunny windowsills. Drosera adelae typically grows in the densely shaded margins of the north-eastern Australian rainforests in sandy soils along creek banks or on wet rocks near waterfalls. Sundews (Drosera spp.) Shop great deals on Sundew Carnivorous Plant Seeds. Some require 6-7 month dormancy periods in sub-zero temperatures while others are tropical, with no dormancy, and will not do well in freezing temperatures. These child pygmies are clones (genetically identical) of the parent plant, and are the reason you quickly get beautiful clumps of pygmy sundews. A titan among tots, D. scorpioides is commonly known as the shaggy sundew and hails from Australia. Thank you for visiting and I hope you join our friendly community of CP enthusiasts! Landing in soil, these gemmae root up quickly and sprout brand new pygmy sundews. I'm not sure why this sundew isn't more common in collections; it's literally named for its spectacular ability to proliferate. Sundew plant information wouldn’t be complete without explaining the trap mechanism. Ajuga. Who needs seeds, right? As efficient as sundews are at catching insects, aphids are a pest that can harm them. Some species of Drosera can be very hearty, proliferating to a point where they become carnivorous weeds popping up where you don’t necessarily want them. Alternanthera. Drosera, commonly known as the Sundew plant, is a carnivorous plant that comes in at least 194 species. Sundews can produce offshoots and develop into clumping plants. Neat. European naturalists have a long and thorough fascination with Sundews, dating all the way back to Henry Lyte’s botanist book “New Herbal,” published in 1578. Any roots that start growing out of the bottom of the pot can be cut off for root cutting propagation. Where they differ from pygmies is in their dry weather coping mechanism. This is partially driven by branching root systems and robust seed production, but also from leaves that can, themselves, sprout entirely new plants if they touch soil. Again, similar to normal tuberous sundews, climbing Tuberous Sundews vary in above-ground growth. The seed pod will take several weeks to mature before viable seed can be collected. Another hearty Drosera, fork-leafed sundews grow from thick, dark, branching roots that are perfect for root-cutting-based propagation. Often smaller than a USD penny, these plants frequently clump into small colonies that can be overlooked for moss if you don’t have a magnifying glass. Like other sundews, it is found in fens and bogs. When temperatures warm, the roots will sprout new crowns and resume normal growth. Sundew, or the genus Drosera, is a type of carnivorous plant found on every continent, except for Antarctica because of that land's frigid temperatures and lack of insects. If more energy is captured than one tuber can store, a stolon will grow a new tuber adjacent to the original. Spread seed sparsely across the plant’s preferred soil and do not cover with soil. They are generally perennial herbaceous plants. Outdoor plants do well when planted near a water feature or even in soggy soil. Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. European naturalists have a long and thorough fascination with Sundews, dating all the way back to Henry Lyte’s botanist book “New Herbal,” published in 1578. By: Bonnie L. Grant, Certified Urban Agriculturist. Coastal California windowsills are a great spot. While they can be grown year-round in cultivation if kept wet, they are naturally accustomed to a season of six months of drought, followed by six months of rain. A few tips on how to care for a sundew will have you on your way to enjoying this fascinating plant. While all are categorized as “temperate” sundews, they’re naturally found in a wide range of locations and climates that means their cold tolerance and length of dormancy also vary. Fast & Free shipping on many items! Use a seed tray and cover with a humidity dome, or place in a plastic bag to keep humidity high. These stems can grow up to three feet tall, and branch to the point of creating a small carnivorous “tree.” While normally self-supporting, the overall weight of these plants can result in them leaning on surrounding plants. All boast delicate flowers and carnivorous habits with glittering dewdrops that give them their fascinating appearance. You may feel like a kid in a candy store, go ahead, get excited! The pot must be kept constantly moist and an atmosphere of humidity is best for maximum growth. Researchers have found the plant's snappy tentacles can capture an insect in just 75 milliseconds. Drained plastic pots are a safe bet, but some do well in undrained, glazed ceramics or glass pots. Provide a humidity level of 40 to 60 percent. easy to care for. What a special plant! You can grow many sundews alongside Venus flytraps (Dionaea) and North American pitcher plants (Sarracenia) in bog gardens. He coined the plant’s name when musing over how dew production seemed to. Do note that the plants will reduce in size, or occasionally die back during winter months, but will regrow from the robust root system during warmer weather. Growing alongside pygmy sundews in Western Australia, tuberous sundews share similar dry summer, wet winter conditions. Tropical sundews grow in Australia, South America, Africa and Southeast Asia. Carnivorous sundew plants need warm temperatures and moist conditions. Writing his botanist friend, Asa Gray, Darwin mentioned caring more about sundews than the origin of all species of life on earth. Leaf shape ranges from circular to linear and many combinations in between. Sundews require different type of care from other carnivorous plants. Grow Some Interesting Flesh-Eating Plants. Transplant during, but towards the end of, dormancy. Once stratification is complete, move containers to bright but indirect light (avoid overheating), and wait four-to-eight weeks for sprouting. Do make sure that each crown of leaves has its own root system before dividing. Well, they actually produce seed, also… So, suffice it to say, you can quickly propagate a small carnivorous army of pygmy sundews in cultivation. The bug lands on the plant thinking that it has found a sweet meal, but it becomes stuck in the goo and becomes a meal itself! The majority are found in Australia and South Africa, but they also grow in hot, humid areas of Georgia, Florida and other similar climates. Like all plants, carnivorous plants are capable of photosynthesis.Since they usually live in areas where the soil quality is poor, they must supplement their diet with nutrients gained from digesting animals. You’ll have wee-sundews bursting through the surface of your soil. The Sundews traps its prey on its sticky leaves, mostly small insects, making them ideal for catching the fruit flies … Nearly all grow in open areas where they get lots of sunlight. They produce these traps early in the season. The FlytrapCare forum was started in 2008 by Matt Miller out of his love for Venus flytraps and other carnivorous plants (CPs). Once pollinated, the pedals will frequently close or fall off and the ovary will begin to swell as seed production begins. Keep the cuttings covered with a humidity dome, in bright light, wait several weeks, and viola! Remember, these plants grow naturally in nutrient poor soils – a major reason why they evolved traps to catch insects as their source of nutrients. Venus flytraps, American pitcher plants, sundews, butterworts, bladderworts, tropical pitcher plants and others - all commercially cultivated for either the curious beginner or the discriminating collector who wants the highest quality plants. The plants prefer acidic soils and are usually where there is a bog or marsh and often grow on top of sphagnum moss. For Drosera species that produce seed in cultivation, fertilization and propagation are straight-forward. But there are also plants that are ridiculously, and I MEAN RIDICULOUSLY! For instance, many will grow alongside other seasonal carnivores flowering around springtime, while others like tuberous sundews will flower between October and December only after they’re adjusted to the northern hemisphere. The ground traps catch crawling insects, while those suspended off of the stems snag flying prey. Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia) Pitcher plant comes in different shades of purple, yellow and, pink, which … Use distilled or reverse osmosis water. If you’re not living in a tropical paradise, we’d recommend growing them in a well-lit terrarium or in warm-to-hot greenhouses. Follow the instructions on how to care for a sundew and grow a fascinating and useful plant in the garden. I realize carnivorous plants seem daunting and difficult to those who aren’t familiar with them, and some are! This technique works best with plants like forked sundews, rosetted subtropicals, D. regia, and cape sundews, that have robust, thick root systems. Avoid soap-based insecticides on Drosera. Each of 200+ species of sundew has a unique beauty, and some even move. Out of the 3 types of plants that I have (Venus Flytraps, Pitcher Plant's and Sundews), it is the Sundew that get's the least attention from people. Sundews can be as small as a penny or as large as a small bush. These Drosera are great beginner plants, and can be easily propagated from root cuttings. We find the best method for encouraging root and foliage growth from these cut leaves is to simply float them sticky-side-up on purified water in a closed plastic or glass container. He coined the plant’s name when musing over how dew production seemed to increase in hot, sunny weather rather than evaporating; “the Dewe of the Sonne, or Sonnedew.” In Greek, Drosera means “dewy” (note, also the dewy carnivorous species Drosophyllum). Fungus can also attack during moist, low-light winter conditions and can be treated with fungicide. Fan-leafed tuberous sundews share growing conditions with other tuberous sundews, but have unique above-ground growth. Check with your extension office for plant recommendations for your area. Help us improve our carnivorous plant database by submitting your own! Freatulina Chrtek & Slavíková. Carnivorous sundew plants have sticky pads that trap insects. For over 30 years, we have grown and sold the widest variety of carnivorous plants in the United States. Store seeds that won’t immediately be propagated in air-tight jewelers bags or small paper envelopes and refrigerate them. The pitcher plants are the showiest of the carnivorous plants, and sport specialized leaves with tubular throats into which insects wander to their doom. The sweet-spot to grow the widest variety of Drosera is in Mediterranean, subtropical, and warm-temperate climates. Completely avoid fertilizing Drosera adelae, D. schizandra, and D. prolifera. Many Sundews will self-pollinate when the flower closes, but you’ll see better results if you manually assist the process. Erasmus Darwin, Charles Dawrin’s grandfather, hypothesized in 1791 that the dew was a means of protection from predators. This maximizes the amount of nutrients the plant can extract. Carnivorous sundew plants have sticky pads that trap insects. Infestations are best treated early with carnivorous-plant-safe insecticides like Ortho. They get too large from most terrariums, but are superb candidates for bog gardens and do well in warm and cool greenhouses with ample sun. Who knew that you could get rid of some of those pesky gnats where you live, and improve the feng shui of your house all in one fell swoop? This is easy to do by setting a saucer filled with small pebbles under the plant and filling it with water. Shop a huge online selection at eBay.com. How wrong he was. English sundew (Drosera anglica) is one of 15 carnivorous plant species in Wisconsin. There are more than 200 species of sundews. Use the water tray method and, if grown in terrariums, reduce the photoperiod (length of light throughout a given day) during autumn to promote gemmae production. Get outdoors for some landscaping or spruce up your garden! Where to buy native seed and plants … The 'dew' of Round-leaved sundews once formed the basis of anti-ageing potions as people believed it was a source of youth and virility - the sundew itself glistening and moist even in the most fierce sun. Sow all sundew seeds in late winter/early spring except tuberous sundew and winter-growing seeds which go in the ground in early autumn. Once they have a few leaves, you can transplant them from seed trays to permanent pots, but be gentle! Most Drosera are great candidates for leaf cuttings (except Drosera burmanni and D. regia… darn). Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! Take into consideration the matured size of your sundew, and if a terrarium is enough space. Because sundews grow in varied climates around the world, you’ll need to adjust climate controls based on the species’ origins. Drosera, commonly known as the sundews, is one of the largest genera of carnivorous plants, with at least 194 species. Be prepared with fungicide to quickly quell any damp-off (fungus that attacks germinating seeds) flair ups. Germination by seed is easy. You have plants like Drosera capensis that will flower and set seed until your entire carnivorous plant collection is infested. If your outdoor climate mimics the native habitat of your sundew, you’re set. Sign up for our newsletter. Large outdoor plants will frequently do what they do best, and snag their own prey like mosquitos, flies, spiders, moths, and crane flies/mosquito hawks. The plant absorbs the buggy goodness straight through the leaf, leaving behind the exoskeleton as a warning to wayward travelers. Your sundew will definitely turn heads and prompt friendly questions if you keep it in an observable place. These leaves produce thick “dew,” and snag just about any insect foolish enough to land on them. Many varieties will eventually form clumps of plants that should eventually be divided and put into separate pots. Not as common as you’d expect from such an exotic-looking plant, most tropical species prefer year-round temperate climates. He described the fascinating insectivores as being more sensitive to touch and taste than the animals species he had studied, and mused that they were really animals in disguise (sounds like the start to a Transformers movie). Similar to leaf cuttings, Drosera root cuttings will result in larger plants, faster – often fully mature plants in one growing season. They have flexible main stems that stop at nothing to grow several feet – climbing over obstacles and using their carnivorous leaves as small, sticky hands to grasp onto adjacent structures for support. The bog environment where the plants thrive is surprisingly poor in nutrients, so these plants have become carnivorous to supplement their diet. Alocasia. Consider repotting every three-to-four years and separating the new tubers that have been produced. This erect perennial tuberous sundew is one of the largest 'dews around, growing up to 3 feet (0.9 m) in height and branching like a carnivorous tree. Angel Vine. Different Drosera seeds can look very similar, so remember to label your seed packages with the name of the parent plant so that they’re easy to identify when it comes time to germinate. Drought brings on die-back to the fuzzy stems until rain returns. Timing for Drosera flowering varies by species and is dependent on what part of the world they originate from and have adapted to. Like other sticky carnivorous plants, Sundews, Butterworts and Rainbow plants, the Dewy Pine is a voracious hunter. Anthurium. We usually have between 1100 to 1500 line items available, so not every plant can be featured! They seek out sandy soils that stay wet-to-waterlogged during the wet season. There are somewhere around 130 species found on almost every continent of earth. With 2 foot (0.6 m) leaves the King Sundew, Drosera regia, has earned its grandiose name. The Sundew, (Drosera) are probably the most diverse genus of carnivorous plants in the world. Roots will sprout from the bottom of the leaves. How to Repot a Sundew. Later that year, William Bartram concluded quite the opposite – that the dew was a means of attracting and purposefully capturing insects. They do great in a water tray system or in undrained planters with constant moisture. Keep the plant in a water tray and fill this tray to maintain wet-to-waterlogged soil. Cut off spent stems and leaves as they occur. Here, the carnivorous sundew plant growing on the foothills of Mt. Sundews are in the genera Drosera and common varieties are often seen in houseplant stores. Unlike its sticky cousins, dew drops smell like sweet honey, and actually detach from the plant as an insect comes into contact with them.