GROWING WARM-TEMPERATE DROSERA
GROWING WARM-TEMPERATE DROSERA
Introduction
Warm - temperate Drosera consist mainly of the D. capillaris and D. brevifolia groups. Most of the forms of D. capillaris and D. brevifolia in cultivation originate from the southeastern US, where they experience definite but mild winters. They are tolerant of light frosts, but do not form hibernacula like cold - temperate species and cannot handle prolonged freezes. In USDA zones 9 or above they generally can be grown outdoors all year. I do not believe that any populations of D. capillaris have been reported farther north than North Carolina.
A Few Notes on Cultivation
D. capillaris and D. brevifolia have been very easy growers for me. I have not found it necessary to provide dormancy for D. capillaris in cultivation, and I grow it alongside my subtropicals all year. Adult plants can be managed easily by growing in small pots sitting in water trays. Maintaining high humidity is not a major concern. The plants tend to color up nicely under full sun. Much like D. burmannii, it is very prolific and spews seed wherever it can. Germinating seed can be done with the same procedures used for subtropicals. I have not tried to propagate it vegetatively yet, but considering the ease of growing it from seed, it really is not necessary. It does not seem to have a preference for a specific substrate, as long as it is nutrient-free; I have grown it with equal success in peat and Sphagnum-based mixes, and in the wild the plants may grow in places ranging from fallen logs to packed clay. D. capillaris is extremely variable across its range and there are several selections of it available in cultivation, including the cultivar 'Emerald's Envy' and the "long arm" form from FL (there is some debate regarding whether that form shows introgression from D. intermedia; it has certainly caused a lot of head-scratching out in the field).
