The Sundew

Often small but sometimes larger, with leaves covered in tiny hairs coated in shiny, delectable droplets of sticky adhesive. You can see quite easily how this carnivorous plant earned the name Sundew.

This article will get down to the basics about the Sundew, including how they work, some of the many different types of Sundew, where they can be found, how to grow and care for them, and more!

Drosera? What's that?

As we prepare to dive deeper, I think it is really helpful to learn how the scientific naming of plants works, especially because it can be quite confusing at first!

Take a look at the image below, the type or species of Sundew in the picture is named Drosera capensis, also known as the Cape Sundew.

All species of Sundew belong to the genus Drosera, so if you see Drosera in front of a word you don't know, you can be sure it's some type of Sundew!

The Types of Sundew

Sundews are surprisingly diverse, in fact, there are different species of Sundew present on every continent except Antarctica! The various different species are categorized into "habits," which are groups of Sundews that share similar characteristics. Let's check them out!

Temperate Sundews

As the name suggests, these Sundews are found in temperate climates, primarily across North America and Europe. This means that they must survive the winter somehow, right? They do this by going dormant during the winter and dying down to a small bud called hibernacula. They then regrow back in the spring!

Subtropical Sundews

These Sundews flourish year-round in warmer climates, typically without requiring a winter dormancy period! They are also some of the most popular and easiest to care for out of all Sundews.

Pygmy Sundews

The smallest of Sundews, pygmies are found primarily in southwestern Australia. They are unique in the fact that they can reproduce asexually via producing gemmae, which are seed-like leaf buds.

Tuberous Sundews

Continuing with the trend of descriptive names, tuberous Sundews will grow tubers deep underground to store energy in order to withstand the hot, dry summers of Southern Australia and Asia where they are from.

Petiolaris Complex

Completely breaking the easy-to-understand naming convention of the Sundew habits comes the Petiolaris Complex Sundews from Northern Australia. These plants have adapted to live in some of the most sunny and hot environments out of any Sundew!

The Carnivorous Lifestyle of Sundews

The thing that makes a Sundew, well a Sundew, is the presence of some form of stalk with mucilaginous glands on it. In simple terms, a sticky tentacle. The "dew" also smells sweet, so insects are lured, trapped in the sticky secretion, and subsequently digested by enzymes.

You might ask yourself why? Can't these plants just get their nutrients from the soil like everyone else? The answer is no, these plants are hungry for blood.

In all seriousness, the truth is the carnivorous nature of Sundews and any other carnivorous plant comes from a lack of nutrients in the soil where they are found. So they have evolved to make up for that deficiency by having carnivorous tendencies, thus getting nutrients from unfortunate insects!

Short Guide to Growing Sundews

There is this misconception that carnivorous plants are challenging to take care of and granted, if you treat it like any other houseplant then you will certainly encounter some difficulties raising them.

In fact, Sundews and most common carnivorous plants are surprisingly simple to take care of and it comes down to two things, sunlight and water.

Sunlight

Sundews love the sun!

You might picture in your head a dark, dingy swamp or bog when you think of where you might find Sundews or other carnivorous plants like Venus flytraps and Pitcher plants in nature. In reality, these places get a lot of sun!

You'll want to do some research on your specific species of Sundew, as well as the climate in your area, but a minimum of 4-6 hours is required for your plant to be happy. So a very sunny windowsill will work if you don't want to keep them outside!

If you do have a nice place to keep them outside you'll want to consider how cold it gets in your area. Many common subtropical Sundews like Drosera capensis can handle light frosts but generally prefer it to stay above freezing during the winter.

If it gets cold in your area consider looking into temperate Sundews like Drosera filiformis, a native Nova Scotian Sundew, so it is used to frigid temperatures in the winter!

Growing Sundews under a grow light is also a very viable option and allows you to fine-tune the perfect amount of light for your plant.

Water

This is the most simple part, your Sundew will want distilled water, RO (reverse osmosis) water, or rainwater. You can find distilled water very easily in big jugs at your local supermarket! If you are really interested you can purchase an RO water filter online and set up your own RO water station.

Why can't I use regular water for my Sundew? Remember, earlier in the article I mentioned that these plants evolved to be carnivorous in the first place to make up for the lack of nutrients and minerals in the soil where they grow in the wild. Bottled water and tap water often has minerals added which will saturate the soil and slowly kill your plant.

The key is to make sure your Sundew is saturated with the correct water at all times. A common method to achieve this is to place your potted Sundew in a tray filled with anywhere from 1/2 inch to an inch of water.

By sitting in water like this your plant will stay saturated with the proper amount of water, just top up the tray when it gets low! Simple!

If you can manage a sunny environment and water with no minerals then your Sundew will do just fine!

Soil

I know, I know, I said only two important things! If you purchased your Sundew from a reputable source then you don't need to really worry about soil unless you plan on repotting your Sundew, in that case, read on.

In the same way that you must use water with no minerals in it, you want to make sure your soil is not chock full of fertilizers and the like. So no, you cannot use regular potting soil! I encourage you to look up a growing guide for your particular carnivorous plant, but common soil mediums are different mixes of sphagnum moss, peat, perlite, and sand.

Quick Recap: Essential Facts about Sundew Plants

I've covered all you need to know to get started learning more about Sundews! Here is a quick summary:

• All species of Sundew fall under the genus Drosera, so when you see a Sundew referred to as Drosera, now you know!

• Drosera are found globally, with species present on every continent except Antarctica. They vary in characteristics, depending on their habitat and climate.

• Sundews have evolved to become carnivorous due to nutrient-deficient soils. Their sticky tentacles trap insects, supplementing their nutrient intake rather than getting it from the soil.

• Contrary to common misconceptions, Sundews are not overly challenging to take care of. The key to success is sunlight and distilled or reverse osmosis water!

This is a living article, I plan on updating this as I too grow in my carnivorous plant journey.

Thank you for reading.