Sundew Plant: 5 Coolest Variety/Cultivars
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The sundew plant, also known as Drosera, has some of the most extensive selection out of all the carnivorous plants. It has over 194 species inside of the Droseraceae family. They tend to get bugs to come to them by their mucilaginous glands that are all over their leaves’ surfaces. The bugs tend to enrich the mineral nutrition of the sundew plant’s soil, which allows them to get the many nutrients needed to survive.
The sundew genus is found from Alaska down to New Zealand. Australia has the most varieties of these gorgeous plants, with almost 50% of the species there. Southern Africa and South America have about 20 species or so, whereas parts of North America and Eurasia have only a few of these varieties to be found.
Some of these plants found in the USA are listed as endangered, depending on the state. A lot of these sundew plants grow on protected land, for example, wildlife preserves and national parks. Many European countries protect these plants, as well. However, they are threatened in both North America and Europe due to developed projects taking over their habitats.
5 Coolest Cultivars of the Sundew Plant
1) Drosera x hybrida
This hybrid is a small D. filiformis that is combined with D. intermedia to make the D. hybrida sundew plant.
Its leaves are only 3 inches and prefer a dormancy in the cold of winter.
Initially, when this plant was “born,” it was found to be sterile. However, back in the 1970s in California, they had an infestation of these plants they kept trying to kill off, ended up mutating and ended up producing seeds.
The sundew plant, also known as Drosera, has some of the most extensive selection out of all the carnivorous plants. It has over 194 species inside of the Droseraceae family. They tend to get bugs to come to them by their mucilaginous glands that are all over their leaves’ surfaces. The bugs tend to enrich the mineral nutrition of the sundew plant’s soil, which allows them to get the many nutrients needed to survive.
2) Drosera' California Sunset'
This plant is a hybrid of Drosera filiformis var tracyi and Drosera filiformis var. filiformis. D. California Sunset was made by Joe Mazrimas and had red glands with clumps that look like tall grass. Its parents, D. filiformis var tracyi, is similar to D. filiformis var. filiformis, but it also has green glands instead of red and leaves that are about 20 inches tall, reaching towards the sky.
The D. filiformis var. filiformis has 6-inch tall leaves that are skinny and red glands, which the D. California sunset takes after more. There was a variety found in Florida, in the USA that had leaves that are twice as tall.
3) Drosera capensis or the Cape Sundew
This plant comes in many varieties, including Albino, Red, Bains Kloof, and Giant forms, and is one of the more common sundews that are cultivated.
It is fairly easy to grow as long as it has the proper habitat and conditions met. They are called “Cape Sundew” due to being from the Cape region of South Africa.
Since its flower stalks are so tall and produce a lot of seedlings, this sundew is sometimes considered a weed. These variations come with large leaves, that are either wide, narrow, or broad.
4) Drosera madagascariensis
This plant, D. madagascariensis, is native to Madagascar and is endangered there. That is due to the plant being harvested for exportation, about 100 to 200 million are used medicinally a year.
These plants form pink petals on its flower and can bear multiple seeds up to .02 inches in length.
This plant has a height of 10 inches and alternating leaves on the stem. The root is not very developed due to the carnivorous nature of the plant. It mainly just holds the plant down and absorbs water, whereas the leaves get all the nutrients from the bugs they eat.
5) Drosera intermedia
Of course, last but not least, D. intermedia is a perennial plant and is found in its native habitats in Europe, Cuba, Eastern USA, southeastern Canada, and northern South America. It is also known as the spoon leaf sundew, oblong leaved sundew, and even the spatulate leaved sundew.
This carnivorous plant is either a tropical or temperate species, depending on where it is found. It has small white flowers when it blooms in the summer and can get up to 5.9 inches tall. However, its leaves only get up to 3.9 inches tall, and its mucilaginous glands give off sugary nectar to get its food.
Domestic Cultivation of the Sundew Plant
So how do you take care of these tall, beautiful plants?
First, you need a pot that is fully glazed or plastic for the sundews that grow its root from four to six inches long. You need to fill the pot with peat moss or long-fibered sphagnum that is mixed with silica sand. Using regular potting soil is dangerous to the sundew plant, due to the high nitrogen content.
These plants need a lot of light, fluorescent or sunlight are both equally crucial to its survival. Make sure you feed your sundew plant the proper food, such as live insects, fish food pellets, or even freeze-dried bloodworms!
Also, whatever they can catch, and it is okay too, do not overfeed it!
