One of our favorites, Drosera madagascariensis prefers tropical warm conditions but will die back and go dormant if temperatures drop into the 40s F. The plant has spoon shaped leaves at the end of long petioles and gradually forms a scrambling stem of several inches. New shoots appear from the base of the stem as the stems die away with age. The flowers produced at the ends of the stem self pollinate and produce copious seed. In terrariums the plant grows continuously, and if it turns brown after a winter chill, even the "dead" stems produce new, branching offshoots. A fascinating and attractive species, perfect for terrariums.
The plants we are shipping are about 1-2” across.
Please note: Shipping can be hard on the sticky dew covering the leaves, so your plant may arrive without dew. It can take a few weeks for the plant to produce more dew. If after four weeks it has not produced dew, you may need to increase light.
Care Instructions:
Growth Habit: This Drosera has an unusual growth pattern with long stems 4-8” that often tumble over the sides of the pot. These plants can grow a scrambling stem up 12” at maturity! The older stem can turn brown or black, that is normal. New shoots appear from the base of the plant as older stems die. It is normal for these plants to have high leaf turnover, meaning the leaves die back frequently and new leaves grow in. Sundews have black roots generally, do not be alarmed when you see the roots are black!
Sun: Full sun. Drosera require lots of direct sun to grow and form dew properly. They can be grown very happily indoors on extremely sunny windowsills that receive all-day sun, or under grow lights. Grow lights should be 6-10” from the plant, depending on the light, and on a 10-12 hour day length. It is common for several leaves to "burn" and die back when you first place your plant into the sun; your plant is acclimating to your conditions, and in most cases, new leaves will soon grow and be fully acclimated. These small Drosera should be carefully acclimated to the full sun if introduced in the hot and sunny months of summer as smaller plants can burn too much and die.These will do well in a terrarium as long as they can get good light and high humidity. If your plant is not producing dew, it most likely needs more light. It can take a few weeks for a plant to regenerate this dew after shipping or making changes to its growing conditions. We do not recommend growing this species outside unless you live in a tropical climate. If you do, we recommend growing it under 30% shade cloth.
Water & Humidity: Always keep them in a saucer with a few inches of distilled, rainwater, or reverse osmosis water. Never let them dry oup. Drosera are bog plants that prefer water-logged conditions. Always use distilled, reverse osmosis, or rainwater only. These plants are sensitive to their water quality, and giving them mineral and salt-free water is very important. These plants appreciate humidity of at least 50%.
Temperature and Dormancy: These are cooler growing subtropical plants, meaning they grow throughout the year without dormancy requirements and prefer mild temperatures but can tolerate cooler temperatures. They prefer in temperatures ranging from 40 degrees - 90F degrees.
Soil and Repotting: We prefer a mix of four-part fertilizer-free peat moss to one-part perlite. You can add our pre-made mix to your order here. You do not need to repot your plant when you receive it from us for at least a year, and we recommend against it during the spring-summer months. Avoid repotting this species as it is a short lived perennial or an annual. Soil can also develop a swampy smell, especially right after shipping, when the plant is wrapped in plastic and sealed. This is normal; these plants grow naturally in bogs and swampy conditions, and peat moss can develop a bit of an anaerobic smell, but this does not indicate a problem with the soil.
Feeding and Fertilizer: Drosera will catch plenty of food when grown outdoors. When grown indoors, they will significantly benefit from a foliar fertilizer. Apply MaxSea fertilizer once per month to the foliage only. Dilute 1/4 teaspoon of MaxSea into one gallon of water and then apply to the leaves with a mister bottle or a watering can.
More Information: For further information on dormancy, repotting, dividing, and more, check out our website or our YouTube channel.
