Drosera Sundew Care

Drosera (Sundews)

Overview

  • Carnivorous plant with glistening, dew-covered tentacles
  • Captures and digests insects using sticky glandular hairs
  • Compact, often rosette-forming, and surprisingly elegant
  • Must be watered only with distilled, rain, or reverse-osmosis water

Drosera, or Sundews, are among the most ethereal carnivorous plants—tiny, jewel-like, and deadly to gnats. Their leaves are covered in glandular hairs that secrete glistening mucilage, luring and digesting small insects. At BoDurtha’s, we recommend them for detail-oriented growers who want a plant with personality and purpose. These are not decorative novelties—they're living machines with a role in your ecosystem.

Origins

Found on every continent except Antarctica, with most species growing in bogs, fens, or other acidic, nutrient-poor environments.

Light Requirements

Requires bright light to maintain color and dew production.

  • Bright, direct sun for at least 4–6 hours a day
  • South- or west-facing windowsills are ideal indoors
  • Insufficient light results in poor trap function and leaf coloration

Watering

Only use distilled, rain, or reverse-osmosis water.

  • Tap water, even filtered, often contains minerals that will kill the plant
  • Keep soil consistently wet using a tray method—pot should sit in shallow water
  • Never allow the soil to dry out

Soil & Potting

Plant in a low-nutrient, acidic mix—avoid traditional potting soils.

  • Use a 1:1 blend of sphagnum peat moss and perlite or sand
  • No fertilizer—these plants evolved to thrive in nutrient-poor conditions
  • Best in plastic or glazed ceramic pots with drainage

Fertilizer

No fertilizer is needed or recommended.

  • These plants feed themselves via captured insects
  • If grown in a completely sterile environment, occasional foliar feeding may be done—but only with great care

Recommended Growth Style: Freeform

Drosera are best grown as open rosettes or upright stems depending on species.

  • Grow in trays or shallow terrariums with consistent access to water
  • Can be grown outdoors in summer or indoors with strong supplemental light
  • Remove dead leaves gently to prevent mold buildup

Final Notes

Delicate, deadly, and deeply functional, Drosera is an excellent companion plant for fungus gnat-prone collections. At BoDurtha’s, we recommend them to those who appreciate small-scale drama and natural pest control. Treat them with purity—especially their water—and they’ll perform tirelessly.

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