Sundews are a variety of carnivorous plants. They are adapted to live in nutrient-poor areas such as alpine environments, peat bogs and clay pans. Sundews are found throughout the world including Asia, Africa, parts of the Americas, and Oceania. They belong to the genus Drosera, meaning “dewy”. There are at
Conservation Comment: Native sundews and how to grow them
By Airini Beautrais & Lukas Gruebsch
Whanganui Midweek·
3 mins to read
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Drosera spatulata potted. Photo / Supplied
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Because they are also sensitive to minerals and pH levels in water, they should be watered with only rainwater, reverse osmosis water or distilled water. They should be potted in plastic or glazed pots, not unglazed ceramics, because minerals may leach from the pottery. D. spatulata is a small plant that would only reach the size of your palm. D. binata can grow up to a metre tall. You will need to feed your sundews insects so they can obtain the required nutrition. You can feed them fruit flies or other small flies once every few weeks. You will need to place the insect onto the sticky mucilage and the plant will do the rest.