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Drosera

The Droseraare the most variable carnivorous plants available today. They grow across the world in a wide variety of habitats. There are ones which produce leaves flat to the ground, and others which produce heavily branched leaves which sway in the wind. They grow from the Arctic region, to the deserts of Australia. With such variety, I cannot adequately begin to describe them here. There are many good cp books available from the library that can give more information, or simply e-mail me with a species name and I'll see if I can't give you some help!

The traps on Droserahave some common characteristics. The leaves are covered with glands, which secrete the 'dew' which attracts insects. These insects become mired in the glue, and the plants leaves and outer glands slowly move to curl around the insect. Other glands secrete digestive juices and the breakdown of the insects body releases nutrients for the plants benefit.

As I have already said, the Droseragrow in a wide range of habitats. In general though, they can be broken down into sub-tropical varieties (those that grow more or less year round), temperate varieties (those that require a cool winter dormancy, and form hibernacula), tuberous varieties (those that die back in the hot summers to an underground tuber), and pygmies (those that produce gemmae to survive hot summers).

As Droseraare so widespread, they suffer a wide range of environmental impacts, such as development, floods, fires, and so forth. Luckily, most seem to be fairly adaptable and should hopefully be around for a long time.

Species

There are over two hundred species of Drosera. Hybrids are common, but are generally sterile unless treated with chemicals such as cochicine.

Soil and Containers

This is very dependent on the plant. In general, a mix of 1:1 peat moss and horticultural sand is good. For tuberous and pygmy Drosera, a sandier mix is better. Some sundews prefer live sphagnum (generally the northern varieties).

Containers also vary, although they should usually be plastic, and sit in about 1 inch of water, or deeper, depending on the plant.

Climate

Again, very variable. Most prefer high humidity levels (above 60%) and full sun. There are a few exceptions to this.

Some have dry dormancy requirements, others have cold dormancy requirements, still others will grow year round.

Propagation

This is generally through seed, leaf cuttings, root cuttings, division, tubers, gemmae, and tissue culture.

Seed, when obtained, will germinate on standard sundew mix within a few weeks. The seed should be on the surface, not buried, and the soil should be kept moist, warm, and humid. Adult plants can be obtained within a year, tuberous species taking two years before flowering.

Leaf and root cuttings work for many of the temperate and sub-tropical species. Leaves should be peeled from the base, ensuring you get the white tip. Place the tips just under the soil, and keep humid. New plantlets form within a few weeks. Root cuttings are similar, except that they should be placed completely under the soil.

Some leaves, such as those of Drosera binatacan be cut into one inch peices. Each peice will then give rise to at least one new plant.

Some Droserawill form clumps over time which can be divided in the spring time.

The tuberous Droserahave the obliging habit of increasing tuber size, and numbers over the years. These daughter tubers should be allowed to increase in size for at least a year. After this time, they can be separated from the mother plant during dormancy, and potted up in a separate pot.

Durig the fall, pygmy Droseraform gemmae. These are small, scale like reproductive structures which surround the center of the plant. Attached by a tightly wound hair, these gemmae will spring off when hit with autumn's first rain (remember, Australia's spring begin's when North America's fall does). They can be removed manually, placed on suitable mix, and will form new, adult size plants in less than a year.

Tissue culture is making some of the harder to obtain and grow Droseramore available.

Seasonal Care

Again, depends on the species. A dormancy period may be required. In general, plants should be repotted every two to three years, during spring. Dead material should be removed immediately.

Pests and Diseases

Droserasuffer from aphids, mealybugs, scale, squirrels, racoons, birds, and fungus, to name a few. You can refer to the venus flytrap section on how to deal with these. Pesticides containing an oil base are sometimes hard on sundews, as it strips them of their mucilage. Most will recover with time, though it's better to use wettable powders whenever possible.