What Are Sundews?

Drosera, or sundews, are some of the most rewarding carnivorous plants you can grow. Their leaves are covered in sticky, glistening tentacles tipped with mucilage that traps insects on contact. Once prey is secured, the leaf slowly curls around it and digestion begins.

They come from an enormous range of habitats -- from tropical lowlands to alpine bogs -- but most commonly grown types are subtropical or tropical and thrive indoors or outdoors with bright light and pure water. Many self-seed and multiply freely, making them one of the most prolific genera in carnivorous plant cultivation.

Light Requirements

Sundews need bright light to full sun for 4-8+ hours per day. Insufficient light is the most common reason tentacles lose their dew and the plant stops catching prey. Outdoor growing in full sun produces the most vigorous plants.

Reading Your Plant

• Glistening dew on all tentacles -- excellent light, thriving plant
• Little or no dew, pale green leaves -- increase light immediately
• Deep red coloration -- ideal high-light conditions
• Bleached or burned leaf tips -- too much intense direct sun

Watering Sundews

Use only distilled water, rainwater, or reverse osmosis water. Tap water is fatal over time. During active growth, use the tray method and keep soil consistently wet.

The Tray Method

• Keep 1/2 to 1 inch of pure water in the saucer at all times during the growing season
• Refill before it runs dry
• Top water occasionally to flush mineral buildup

Growing Media

Sundews evolved in nutrient-poor, acidic bog soil. Any fertilizer or enriched potting mix will kill them.

Recommended Mixes

• 1:1 peat moss + perlite -- reliable and easy to source
• Long-fiber sphagnum + perlite -- excellent alternative
• Pure long-fiber sphagnum works well for smaller species

Dormancy

Dormancy requirements depend on species origin:

• Tropical and subtropical species (capensis, spatulata, aliciae, binata) -- no dormancy required, grow year-round
• Temperate species (rotundifolia, anglica, most pygmy sundews) -- require a cool winter dormancy similar to Venus flytraps

Most beginner-friendly species are tropical and can be grown without any dormancy consideration.

Feeding

Outdoors, sundews catch insects continuously without any help. Indoors, feeding accelerates growth noticeably.

What to Feed

• Fruit flies, fungus gnats, or small insects placed on the tentacles
• Fish food flakes -- dust a tiny pinch onto the leaves
• MaxSea at 1/4 strength as a very dilute foliar spray once a month

Best Drosera for Beginners

• Drosera capensis -- the gold standard beginner sundew. Fast-growing, self-seeding, nearly indestructible
• Drosera spatulata -- compact rosette, very forgiving, great for small setups
• Drosera aliciae -- elegant rosette form, easy and reliable
• Drosera binata -- forked or multi-forked leaves, extremely vigorous
• Drosera tokaiensis -- fast-growing hybrid that self-seeds prolifically

The diversity within Drosera capensis alone is remarkable -- from deep red to pure white, from hairy forms to giant broad-leaf populations. A sample of what's in the shop:

Common Problems & Fixes

No Dew on Tentacles

Almost always a light problem. Move the plant to brighter conditions immediately. Results are visible within one leaf cycle.

Slow or No Growth

Check light levels first, then water quality. Tropical sundews should grow actively year-round. If yours is stalled, one of these two factors is almost always responsible.

Leaf Blackening

Natural as individual leaves age and die -- this is normal. If it's widespread and affecting young leaves, check for root rot from drying out or poor water quality.

Plant Disappears in Winter

If you have a temperate species, this is dormancy. The plant forms a hibernaculum (tight winter bud) at soil level. Keep it damp and cool and it will re-emerge in spring.