Drosera capensis – Indoor House Plants

Drosera capensis (commonly known as Cape sundew) is a little
rosette-forming carnivorous house plant. It is one of the easiest of carnivorous plants to keep indoors and grows very well in open air, on a sunny windowsill. Cape sundew produces strap-like leaves, up to 1.4 inch long and 0.2 inch wide which, as in all sundews, are covered in brightly colored tentacles which secrete a sticky juice, luring flies and other insects.

When insects are first trapped, the leaves roll the long way by thigmotropism toward the center. This aids digestion by bringing more digestive glands in contact with the prey. The plant leaf surrounds the prey within an hour while tentacles continue to move to further trap the prey. Digestion takes well over six hours after a prey’s original ensnarement. During late spring or early
summer, it produce multiple, small, five-petaled pink flowers at the end of scapes which can be up to 12 inches tall. The blooms can self-pollinate upon closing and produce copious quantities of very small, spindle-shaped seeds, which are released from the capsules that form when the blossoms have died.

Scientific Name: Drosera capensis
Common Names: Cape sundew

 

 

How to grow and maintain Drosera capensis (Cape sundew):

Light:
It grows well in full to part sun. In indoors, it prefers
bright light.

Soil:
Use live sphagnum moss or a half-and-half mix of peat moss
and horticultural sand.

Water:
Water your plant regularly and always keep the soil evenly
moist and never allowing the soil to dry out.

Temperature:
It thrives well in an average room temperature between 60
degrees Fahrenheit to 75 degrees Fahrenheit / 16 degrees
Celsius to 24 degrees Celsius. It will endure a wider
range. Cold air may cause dormancy.

Fertilizer:
Do not fertilize because it will burn the roots and may kill
the plant. If grown outdoors they will catch their own food.
You can also sprinkle goldfish flakes on sundew leaves.
Since sundews are unlikely to catch insects in the house,
you can feed it dead flies spring through fall.

Propagation:
It can be propagated by seeds or division. Sow the fresh
seeds in peat moss. Place the pots in a warm window or under
bright lights. Seeds germinate in about two to four weeks. To divide, isolate new rosettes that form around the parent
plant.