How to Care for Tropical Sundews (Drosera)

Tropical sundews (Drosera) are dazzling carnivorous plants that sparkle with sticky, dew-tipped tentacles. Unlike their temperate cousins, tropical sundews grow year-round with no dormancy period required, making them an excellent choice for South African growers who want low-maintenance, always-active carnivorous plants.

Water

Keep the pot standing in a tray of reverse osmosis, rain, or distilled water at all times. The soil must stay evenly moist and should never dry out. Tap water minerals are harmful to sundews — always use pure water only.

Light

Provide at least 4–6 hours of direct sunlight per day. Outdoors in a sunny spot is ideal. Indoors, place on a sunny windowsill that receives at least 4 hours of direct sun. Good light brings out deep red colouration in the tentacles and keeps the plant compact and healthy.

Temperature

Tropical sundews prefer 22–30°C year-round — which suits most South African climates very well. They do not tolerate frost and should be brought inside or protected during cold snaps.

Dormancy

Tropical sundews do not require dormancy. As long as temperatures and light remain adequate, they will continue growing actively throughout the year — one of the things that makes them so easy and satisfying to grow.

Feeding

Outdoors, tropical sundews will catch plenty of insects on their own. Manual feeding is not necessary, but you can occasionally place small live bugs onto the leaves if you'd like to give them an extra boost.

Soil

Use a 50/50 mix of fertiliser-free peat moss and perlite. Never use standard potting soil, compost, or fertiliser of any kind. Repot every 1–2 years, or when the soil becomes compacted. Our Standard Carnivorous Plant mix is pre-blended and suitable for tropical sundews.

Shop Tropical Sundews

Browse our range of tropical sundews — including the popular woolly sundew and other striking species, grown at Botanic Bites.