Sundew ∗ The 10 best planting and care tips

Characteristics

• Scientific name: Drosera
• Family: Sundew family (Droseraceae)
• Occurrence: Eurasia, South America, South Africa
• Growth type: carnivorous plant
• Growth height: 10 cm to 100 cm
• Sheet: rich in form
• Flower: whorl
• Fruit: capsule
• Outlasting organ: hibernacle
• Toxicity: non-toxic
• Hardiness: hardy or sensitive to frost
• Use: moor bed, pot garden, houseplant, medicinal plant

growth

sundew forms the second largest genus of carnivorous plants, also known as carnivores, with more than 200 diverse species. Drosera species occur almost worldwide. The main distribution areas extend over South America, South Africa and Australia. A few survivors populate Europe, Asia and North America right up to the edge of the Arctic. Regardless of the diversity of species and cosmopolitan occurrences, the essential characteristics of sundew growth can be summarized as follows:

• Growth type: unorthodox perennial as a carnivorous plant (carnivore) with sticky catching leaves and small flowers on the long stem.
• Growth habit: forming rosettes, upright, very rarely climbing.
• Growth height: 10 cm to 100 cm, climbing species up to 300 cm
• Root system: weakly developed; primarily serves to absorb water and anchor it in the substrate.
• Outlasting organ: hibernacle (winter bud) or rarely a tuber.
• Horticulturally interesting properties: native species are hardy and easy to care for, exotic species are more demanding, non-toxic, long-lived, extravagant bedding, balcony and house plant.

Sheet

A sundew leaf is movable and primarily serves as an insect trap with a sticky effect. Shape and texture are geared towards this function with the following characteristics:

• Leaf shape: stalked or sessile, rounded, spatulate, elongate-linear to narrow-grass-like.
• Special feature: mobile tentacles covered with sugary-sticky secretions on the leaf surface and on the edge of the leaf, which shimmer promisingly in the sunlight.
• Foliage color: green with whitish tentacles that turn red in intense sunlight.
• Life stages: native species deciduous, tropical species evergreen.

This is how the catching mechanism works: Insects attracted by the shimmer get stuck on the sticky tentacles. The tentacles tilt towards the insect for better adhesion. Captured victims die of exhaustion or suffocation. Now the plant releases certain digestive enzymes. In the hours that follow, the trapping leaf curls up and encloses the prey until it is completely digested. The indigestible residues remain. The following video demonstrates the fascinating process:

Round-leaved sundew hunting for prey in the high moor

blossom

Sundew blossoms are enthroned at a safe distance from the sticky catching leaves. With this precaution, the carnivorous plant prevents pollinating insects from getting trapped. All the important characteristics of a Drosera flower at a glance:

• Inflorescence: A cluster of several individual flowers on a stalk that is up to 40 cm long.
• Single flower: in fives, radial, up to 1.5 cm in diameter.
• Special feature: heliotrope (flower turns towards the sun).
• Flower color: white, light purple, pink or red.
• Flower ecology: hermaphrodite

sundew species

There are three Drosera species in Europe that are also suitable for year-round cultivation in the garden. Some exotic sundew species are highly valued as indoor plants in this country. The following table provides a compact overview:

Also interesting for cultivation as a houseplant is: South African sundew (Drosera aliciae) with up to 40 Centimeter high, red inflorescences that bloom in winter above a 6 centimeter rosette of 30 catch leaves.

use

The origin determines the possible uses of the sundew in the hobby garden. Be inspired by these ideas:

• Graceful eye-catcher in the bog bed (e.g. B. frost-hardy round-leaved sundew).
• Decorative bank plant for garden pond and stream (e.g. B. hardy long-leaved sundew).
• Extravagant potted plant on the south-facing balcony (e.g. B. cold-tolerant middle sundew).
• Effective eye-catcher in a beautiful flower pot on the windowsill (e.g. B. exotic star sundew).
• Houseplants worth seeing for the temperate conservatory (e.g. B. winter flowering Cape Sundew).

Initiated herbalists are familiar with sundew as a historical medicinal plant. Since the 12th Since the 19th century, round-leaved sundew (Drosera rotundifolia) and medium-sized sundew (Drosera intermedia) have been used as natural remedies for spasmodic coughs. For medicinal purposes, the plants that we strictly protect are usually imported from Madagascar.

plant sundew

Buying sundew is a difficult task. The few carnivore dealers only have Drosera sporadically on offer. The easiest way to succeed with this exciting planting project is to propagate by cuttings or sowing. You can find out how to successfully plant sundews outdoors and indoors in these planting tips:

cuttings

Sundew is easy to propagate from cuttings:

1. Cut off the catch leaf from the mother plant.
2. Cut the leaf into 1-2 cm long pieces.
3. Small seed pots(€7.00 at Amazon*) fill with a mix of coconut fiber substrate and sand.
4. Moisten the substrate with a fine spray of lime-free water.
5. Lay the leaf cuttings horizontally with the underside on the substrate and press down.
6. Place the growing pots in water-filled saucers.
7. Keep slightly moist in a bright, warm spot, not fertilize.

Within three to six weeks, small bulges appear on the leaf surfaces, from which new sundew plants will develop over time.

sowing

You can take sundew seeds from the ripe capsules or buy them as certified seeds. The dust-fine, black seeds germinate in the light. How to master them sowing with success:

1. Fill the seed tray with carnivore soil and coconut soil in equal parts.
2. Moisten seed soil with room-warm, decalcified water.
3. Scatter and press seeds.
4. Place the bowl with a water-filled saucer in the indoor greenhouse.
5. Keep the water level at 1-2 cm in a sunny, warm location.

Under these conditions, germination takes between two and four weeks. If no indoor greenhouse is available, please put a transparent hood or plastic bag over the seed tray. Daily airing effectively prevents mold growth. When the seedlings' leaves collide, transplant the young sundew plants into their own pots.

Location

These are the ideal conditions for sundew in the garden, on the balcony or as a houseplant:

• Sunny to very bright location.
• Subtropical and tropical species at temperatures of at least 15° to 20° Celsius, preferably up to 30° Celsius.
• Planted out, hardy Drosera species prefer nutrient-poor, swampy, moist soil.
• Ideally, a humid location with 40 to 50 percent humidity.
• Optimum soil pH: 3.5 to 4.5

Plant sundew in the garden - the best tips

• The best time to plant sundew as a garden plant is in spring during the months of April and May.
• Place the seed pot or container in pond or rainwater before planting.
• The planting hole is 1.5 times larger in diameter than a root ball with winter buds.
• Optimal planting site: water-saturated substrate without waterlogging in the middle of peat moss to protect against drying out.

Planting sundew in pots – tips & tricks

The right planting technique aims to ensure that sundew can help itself to a water supply. You can read how to do this in these tips & tricks:

• The best pot substrate is special carnivore soil (potting soil is unsuitable).
• Plant sundew in a pot with a tall saucer.
• Fill in carnivore soil over a drainage expanded clay or lava granules.(€14.00 at Amazon*)
• Don't water the sundew, but fill the saucer with water.

After planting, the plant should regenerate for a week in a partially shaded location before taking its place in the sun.

digression

Feeding prohibited

cultivate sundew

Sundew has an aversion to hard tap water. The carnivore takes care of the nutrient supply itself. The carnivorous plant makes no acquaintance with scissors. Pot Drosera benefit from competent overwintering. Diseases and pests are easy to combat with home remedies. Worth knowing care tips for sundew indoors and outdoors:

Pour

• Keep the sundew in the bed constantly moist at any time of the year without waterlogging.
• Pour pot Drosera from below, keeping the saucer constantly filled with water.
• Collected as irrigation water rainwater or use decalcified tap water.
• Extra tip: to increase the humidity during the heating period, do not spray indoor plants, but place them next to an air humidifier.

Fertilize

Drosera species do not need to be fertilized. Like all carnivorous plants, sundews obtain vital nutrients from catching their prey.

To cut

Cutting is not part of sundew care. Deciduous species shed their leaves before winter. Please wait patiently for this process, because valuable nutrients are transferred to the winter buds (hibernacles). Simply pluck off completely dead leaves. This is also the way to proceed with evergreen, tropical Drosera species if an old catch leaf is pulled in.

hibernate

Native sundews planted outdoors do not require any special winter protection. Potted Drosera species, on the other hand, generally require a frost-free winter quarters. How to winter sundew correctly:

• Put sundew in the pot from a minimum temperature of 15° Celsius.
• Relocate year-round indoor plants in October/November.
• Winter quarters: bright and cool at 10° to 12° Celsius.
• Winter care: water more sparingly, do not spray, do not fertilize, provide additional lighting if there is a lack of light.

Did you know that drought stress is the most common cause of sundew species planted outside not surviving the winter? For this reason you should water the carnivorous plants on mild days, even if only the winter buds are visible.

diseases and pests

Cunning pests simply trick the sundew catching leaves. Plants weakened by care mistakes are susceptible to diseases. The following table lists common damage patterns, names typical causes and gives tips for non-toxic countermeasures:

Popular Varieties

These varieties decoratively round off your sundew collection:

• Cape sundew 'Alba': Drosera capensis produces white starry flowers in the midst of wintertime.
• Drosea roseana: Mini sundew with a growth height of 5-10 mm and delicate, white flowers.
• Scorpion sundew (Drosera scorpioides): rare dwarf sundew with a growth height of 10 cm and pink flowers, whose habit is reminiscent of a scorpion.
• Filiform sundew (Drosera filiformis): Hardy sundew from North America, 15-40 cm long, thread-like catching leaves, red tentacles, light violet flowers, a wonderful eye-catcher for bog beds and pond banks.

FAQ

My Cape Sundew was exposed to frost. Can the plant be saved?

Sundew species are tough. This applies equally to hardy and tropical Drosera. If Cape sundew (Drosera capensis) suffers a cold shock, the above-ground parts of the plant die. But there is hope. Thanks to its regenerative properties, the carnivores will sprout from the roots. Cut off all frozen leaves and inflorescences. Optimum cultivation conditions in a sunny, warm location with pleasant room temperatures are advantageous for vigorous new growth.

Are carnivorous plants dangerous?

No, there is no danger from carnivorous plants. There are persistent horror stories about man-eating plants that have no basis whatsoever. In fact, carnivores are not dangerous or poisonous to either humans or pets. It is only for small insects that an encounter with sundew and conspecifics does not end well.

When should you repot sundew?

The best time to repot sundew is in spring, when the winter rest period is coming to an end. For slow-growing Drosera species, this care measure is not required every year. If in doubt, wait until the first root strands grow out of the hole in the ground or until the substrate collapses. Please do not select the new culture pot too large. It is sufficient if there is a space of one to two fingers between the rosette of leaves and the edge of the pot.

Which beginner-suitable sundew species are suitable for moor bed planting?

Carnivorous, hardy sundew species grow particularly well in bog beds. There is light, space and food in abundance. The three native species of round-leaved sundew (Drosera rotundifolia), long-leaved sundew (Drosera anglica) and medium sundew (Drosera intermedia). Easy to care for threadlike sundew (Drosera filiformis), which has learned in its North American homeland to defy the biting frost, is a popular addition.