Drosera commonly known as the sundews comprises one of the largest genera of carnivorous plants. The genus includes annuals and perennials, large and small plants, and denizens of tropical, temperate, and polar habitats. They should not be confused with the ever popular Venus Fly Trap, Dionaea muscipula. These plants lure, capture, and digest insects using stalked mucilaginous glands covering their leaf surfaces. The insects are used to supplement the poor mineral nutrition of the soil in which they grow. Both the botanical name and the English common name refer to the glistening drops of mucilage at the tip of each tentacle that resemble drops of morning dew. Drosera has also been recorded for its medicinal use against warts, corns and sunburn. Ethnobotanically a tea made from the plant was also used as a tranquilizer and aphrodisiac. Whether indigenous or exotic, Sundews deserve a little corner in all carnivorous plant collections. They make fascinating indoor houseplants. These curiosity plants grow best in pots filled with a mix of our general Carnivorous Growing Medium.

Drosera binata is the only species of sundew with forked leaves and is New Zealand’s largest representative of the genus. These plants begin growth in early spring from a resting bud on the surface of the soil. The erect leaves grow rapidly unfurling like fern fronds and reach full size (to 30cm tall) after the first one or two leaves. Often the first leaves are forked only once but in some forms may eventually fork 6 times forming 12 leaf tips or points. Plants may flower several times from late spring through to early autumn. A fun and educational plant!