Sundew Care Guide
Written by House of Carnivores, a family carnivorous plant nursery in Arlington, Virginia. Updated .
Drosera
Sundews are fascinating carnivorous plants covered with glistening drops of sticky “dew.” These sparkling leaves are not just beautiful. They act as living flypaper, trapping tiny insects that provide the plant with nutrients.
The tropical sundews offered by House of Carnivores are relatively easy to grow when given strong light, mineral-free water, and consistently moist soil.
This guide is intended for tropical sundews such as Cape sundew (Drosera capensis), spoon-leaf sundew (Drosera spatulata), and Alice sundew (Drosera aliciae). Other sundew species may have different care and dormancy requirements.
Quick Care at a Glance
| Light | Bright light with several hours of direct sun, or a strong grow light |
|---|---|
| Water | Distilled, rain, or reverse-osmosis water |
| Watering | Keep in a shallow water tray during active growth |
| Soil | Nutrient-poor carnivorous plant mix |
| Feeding | Optional. Small insects or tiny amounts of freeze-dried bloodworms |
| Winter | Keep indoors. These tropical sundews do not need a cold winter dormancy |
1. Give Your Sundew Plenty of Light
Strong light is one of the most important ingredients for a healthy sundew.
Good light encourages compact growth, colorful leaves, and abundant sticky dew. Depending on the species and variety, well-lit plants may develop shades of pink, orange, or red.
Indoors, place your sundew under a strong grow light. House of Carnivores sundews are grown indoors under grow lights, so they are already accustomed to artificial lighting.
A photoperiod of about 12–14 hours per day is a reasonable starting point under grow lights.
Sundews can also grow in a very bright window or with several hours of direct sunlight. If your plant has not previously been exposed to strong direct sun, increase its exposure gradually to avoid leaf burn.
2. Use Only Mineral-Free Water
Sundews are sensitive to minerals dissolved in ordinary tap water.
Use:
- Distilled water
- Rainwater
- Reverse-osmosis (RO) water
Avoid ordinary tap water unless you know that its dissolved-mineral level is suitably low.
The tray method
Tropical sundews enjoy consistently moist conditions and are well suited to the tray method.
Place the pot in a shallow tray containing approximately ¼–½ inch of mineral-free water. Refill the tray as needed so the growing medium stays consistently moist.
Do not allow the soil to dry completely.
There is no need to routinely pour water over the leaves.
Should I mist my sundew?
Usually not.
Misting is unnecessary for these tropical sundews and can temporarily wash away or disturb the sticky droplets on their leaves. Consistent watering and good light are much more important than misting.
3. What Is the “Dew” on My Sundew?
The sparkling droplets covering a sundew’s leaves are a sticky secretion produced by specialized glands.
Tiny insects become stuck to these droplets. The plant then releases digestive enzymes and absorbs nutrients from its prey. Some sundews also slowly curl portions of their leaves around captured insects.
My new sundew lost its dew. Is something wrong?
Moving from our growing conditions into a new home can temporarily reduce visible dew.
Give your sundew strong light, mineral-free water, and time to adjust. Pay particular attention to the new leaves. As the plant acclimates, newly produced leaves should develop their characteristic sticky droplets.
Older leaves that lost their dew during the move may not fully regain it.
These tropical sundews generally adapt well to ordinary indoor humidity and do not need to be enclosed in a terrarium.
4. Feeding Your Sundew
Sundews obtain their energy from light through photosynthesis. Insects provide additional nutrients rather than replacing the need for strong light.
Indoor sundews often catch fungus gnats, fruit flies, and other tiny insects without any help.
Feeding is therefore optional, but occasional feeding can support healthy growth when the plant is not catching prey on its own.
Wait until your new plant is actively producing healthy, sticky leaves before feeding it.
You can offer:
- A suitably small insect
- A tiny portion of freeze-dried bloodworm
Feeding freeze-dried bloodworms
Soften a very small amount of freeze-dried bloodworm with a drop of distilled water before placing it on a sticky leaf. Softening the food helps it make contact with the leaf’s sticky surface.
Use only a tiny amount. A sundew does not need a large meal.
If your plant is not catching insects naturally, feeding one or two healthy leaves every few weeks is plenty as a starting point.
There is no need to feed every leaf.
The leaf may slowly curl around its meal, although the degree of movement varies. Do not repeatedly poke or manipulate the leaf trying to make it move.
Never feed your sundew hamburger, cheese, or other human food.
5. Old Leaves Naturally Turn Brown
Individual sundew leaves do not live forever.
Older leaves eventually lose their dew, turn brown, and die as the plant produces new growth from its center. This is normal.
You can carefully trim completely dead leaves with clean scissors if you prefer a tidier plant.
If many leaves suddenly deteriorate at the same time or the plant stops producing healthy new growth, review its light, water, temperature, and growing conditions.
6. Flowers and Seeds
Healthy sundews may produce flower stalks that rise well above their sticky leaves.
Cape sundews and some other tropical sundews can produce seed readily. If your plant is healthy, you can simply enjoy the flowers and allow the stalk to develop.
If a very small or recently stressed plant begins flowering, you may choose to cut off the flower stalk so the plant can concentrate its resources on vegetative growth.
If you collect sundew seeds, they can generally be surface-sown on moist, nutrient-poor carnivorous plant medium. Do not bury the tiny seeds deeply. Keep them moist and provide bright light and appropriate warmth while they germinate.
7. Winter Care
The tropical sundews covered by this guide do not need the cold winter dormancy required by Venus flytraps and North American pitcher plants.
In Northern Virginia, keep them indoors during the winter.
Continue providing:
- Bright light
- Mineral-free water
- Consistently moist growing medium
- Protection from freezing temperatures and cold drafts
Be careful with plants sitting directly against very cold windows during winter.
Other types of Drosera can have very different seasonal requirements, including dormancy, so follow species-specific guidance for sundews not covered by this guide.
8. Repotting Your Sundew
Your House of Carnivores sundew comes in a 2-inch nursery pot. It does not need repotting immediately simply because you brought it home; move it when growth or the condition of its medium warrants it.
When repotting becomes necessary, use an unfertilized, nutrient-poor carnivorous plant medium. A peat-and-perlite carnivorous plant mix is suitable for many of the tropical sundews covered here.
Avoid:
- Ordinary potting soil
- Compost
- Fertilizer-enriched soil
- Pots or materials that may release minerals into the growing medium
A 3–4 inch plastic pot with drainage is a good starting size for many plants.
Compact species such as spoon-leaf and Alice sundews can remain relatively small. Cape sundews become larger and can benefit from deeper pots as they mature.
There is no need to repot on a strict annual schedule. Repot when the plant becomes crowded, outgrows its container, or the growing medium has deteriorated.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I grow my sundew indoors all year?
Yes. The tropical sundews covered by this guide are well suited to indoor growing under strong grow lights.
Unlike Venus flytraps and North American pitcher plants, they do not need a cold winter dormancy.
Why doesn’t my sundew have any dew?
A recent move can temporarily reduce dew. If new leaves remain dry after the plant settles, review its light and watering. See dew loss and acclimation for what to watch.
Can I feed my sundew freeze-dried bloodworms?
Yes. Use a tiny softened portion on a healthy, sticky leaf; see feeding preparation and frequency.
Should I mist my sundew to increase humidity?
Usually not. These tropical sundews generally adapt to ordinary indoor humidity, and spraying can disturb their sticky droplets. See watering and misting guidance.
My sundew is growing a tall flower stalk. What should I do?
Enjoy flowers on a healthy plant; consider removing the stalk from a very small or stressed plant. See flowers and seed collection.
Tiny sundews are appearing around my plant. What are they?
They may be seedlings, particularly if your plant previously flowered and produced seed.
You can leave seedlings together while they are small and separate them later if they become crowded.
Can I grow several tropical sundews together?
Yes, provided the species have compatible requirements and there is enough room for them to grow without crowding one another.
Keep in mind that vigorous plants such as Cape sundews can eventually become much larger than compact species.
Can I grow my tropical sundew with a Venus flytrap or North American pitcher plant?
It is generally better to keep them in separate pots.
They can all appreciate strong light and mineral-free water, but their winter requirements are different. Venus flytraps and North American pitcher plants require a cool winter dormancy, while the tropical sundews covered by this guide should remain protected from freezing temperatures and continue growing indoors.