Guides to growing sundews (Drosera): light, water, soil, feeding, dormancy and common problems.
Pygmy sundews are tiny Western Australian Drosera that grow in the cool months, rest in summer and multiply from gemmae. Here is pygmy sundew care in detail: light, water, sandy soil, tall pots, seasons, feeding, gemmae, flowers, problems and good first species.
The forked sundew grows into a big, sticky bush of Y-shaped leaves. Here is Drosera binata care in detail: light, the tray method, soil and deep pots, temperature and a winter rest, feeding, flowers that rarely set seed, propagation, the main forms and the problems growers run into.
Some sundews sleep through winter as a tight bud, some die back to their roots, some rest in summer and some never rest at all. Here is how to tell which kind you have, what a healthy dormant sundew looks like, and how to overwinter it outdoors, in an unheated space or in the fridge.
Drosera capensis is the classic first sundew. Here is Cape sundew care in detail: light on a windowsill or under lights, the tray method, soil, humidity, the temperatures it tolerates, winter without dormancy, feeding, its self-seeding habit, easy propagation and common problems.
Most sundews are easy to multiply, but the right method depends on the type. Here is how to propagate sundews from leaf, root and flower stalk cuttings, divisions, seed, pygmy gemmae and tubers, checked against the ICPS, Barry Rice and specialist growers.
A dewless sundew is telling you something. Here is how to tell a normal rest or shipping stress from a real problem, and how to fix low humidity, weak light, heat, impure water, fertilizer and pests, based on the ICPS, Barry Rice’s Carnivorous Plant FAQ and specialist nurseries.
A beginner’s guide to sundew care: how the sticky tentacles work, the five main Drosera groups and the easiest species, light, pure water, soil, humidity, temperature, dormancy, feeding, seeds, cuttings, and fixes for a sundew with no dew.