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I just wanted to share some pictures of this awesome sundew that is little-known and little-grown in the US.

The reason I like it is because of it's large size and superior trapping ability--it can catch houseflies with ease :0o: This sundew catches more than a VFT! A forest of them is extremely deadly. In fact, this is the strongest sundew I have ever grown.

Some background:

D. indica is an annual that occurs in Southeast Asia and North Africa (I think). In cultivation, the seeds are best sown in the spring and allowed to grow into mature and very big plants in the summer.This species grows best in hot conditions. It likes sandier soil than most CP's also. It can tolerate very dry conditions, and is perfect for growing with VFTs.

THIS SUNDEW LOVES HOT, DRY SUMMERS! It might also like more moist ones...I just have the experience of semi-arid SD :)



Now for the photos!!!

Here are some juvenile plants with some nice prey, a butterfly.

D_+indica+with+butterfly.JPG


And some more young ones with some other cps.

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Even younger ones with some big flies...

D_+Indica+_Pale+Pink+Flower_+with+big+flies.jpg


A bigger plant growing with D. rotundifolia in sandy soil. If the sundew is going to be wet then it needs lots of sand!

DSCN0025.JPG


A large plant at 10" tall!

Size+of+D_+Indica+middle-aged.JPG


Some carnage; Notice the housefly :-O

July+2010+_19_.JPG


And even more dead bugs! This sundew catches them by the tons!

D_+Indica+_Pale+Pink+Flower_+with+tons+of+prey.jpg


I hope you you enjoyed the photos! If you want to give this sundew a try (I think everybody should) then click here to go to a thread where I'm offering the seed for SASE.
 
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This is the one that needs to be fed early and often.
 
I always had trouble with this species, nice to see a success story!
 
Nice, SDCPs! Those look great! I might have to get some of them some time...
 
From earlier this year, in a mini-greenhouse setup:

Picture003-1.jpg


Picture005-3.jpg


The seedsI got never germinated and the plant eventually died out.
 
Very nice jimscott!

My seeds are from plants that are most likely cross-pollinated, from many plants instead of one, and plants grow in conditions that are closer to the natural conditions than a greenhouse...and the seeds look exactly like the ones I got.

However, I think that either you tried to germinate the seeds in the wrong conditions or didn't give them enough time. I had given up on mine...and even let them dry out. Look at the plants I have!

I have to post a picture I took to day if it's any good. The "pale pink flower" variety is really nice.

@Aslan:

I've got a bunch of seeds I could trade you :)
 
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IDK! Some things germinate some things don't, even with time, temperature, light, and humidity.
 
I know! I feel really embarrassed when I some "dud" I tossed into a Sarr pot start to germinate.
 
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Drosera indica was always hard for me to germinate, but the seed seemed to last a long time after sowed. I believe it was over a year before mine decided to germinate. My seed came from plants in the Australian NT, and like the petiolaris and tuberous Drosera seed it would probably benefit from a hot summer stratification. Well, I did take my own advise but it just seemed to boil down to a matter of time.
 
  • #10
I sowed mine in the winter and had plants in the spring. But the pot totally dried out in between. Maybe that helped it germinate?


I have noticed a new phenomenon occurring with these sundews. They are taking over! The main stalks are branching into several new growth points at the top....kindof like a nep can grow new vines from a node. These plants are just CRAZY! Each one is splitting into half a dozen growth points.

D_+indica+division.JPG


This is truly one of the most remarkable sundews I have ever grown. I still love it's low water usage and superb fly-catching abilities. The flowers are very nice too...but my camera doesn't get the pink tint very well.
 
  • #11
LOL! You've got a monster!
 
  • #12
A sundew that loves hot and dry? Count me in, I want to get this bug catching monster!! :D
 
  • #13
LOL! You've got a monster!

Yes, I do :-O

That's not even the biggest one. It was the easiest one to photograph and the big one is kindof in the back...

If you didn't notice, that "big green dewy thing" is ONE plant. The picture only shows ONE PLANT :0o:

That particular plant is almost a foot tall. Any flies that get stuck are surely doomed. In fact, those plants held up a Japanese Tiger Beetle for about half an hour once. It couldn't fly away!

I wonder if all D. indica is like this in the right conditions (which I think I have)...or is this just a giant strain of it?
 
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  • #14
Hyperactive thyroid?
 
  • #15
I've been looking at some pics from Dr. Wurm's D. indica (the ones he gave away)--I assume that most of the D. indica "green" on this forum were from his giveaway.Here is Crisstal's thread

That particular D. indica seems to:

1) like wetter conditions than this one
2) hold its seed pods in a different manner
3) not have dew all the way down to the stalk

Just an update on my plants:

They're slowing down a little and I think their time is short. I'll let you know when and if they die. I've actually had to kill some to make room for other plants.

They're still catching tons of things!
 
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  • #16
My remaining few old plants will be dead by Christmas...still alive though. I think this is partly due to all the rain we've been getting lately. They don't like it too wet. However, new ones are already coming up to take their place. Revenge of the D. indica it seems :-))
 
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  • #17
Can't wait until mine look like that :)

IMG_0454.JPG
 
  • #18
Beautiful babies TF!
 
  • #19
Thanks! I will punt that compliment to SDCPs... These little guys hitched a ride across the country in some utrics that he traded with me several weeks ago (thanks again!). Perhaps they are the direct offspring of the very plants shown in his pics above!
 
  • #20
@Fury- nice work.
if you're growing these indoors, make sure that you feed them frequently. I'm guessing you've been told this already since it looks like the oldest leaves on your bigger plant were fed or caught springtails)
My first batch of D. indica slowly died off on me indoors after not feeding them for 2 months following germination and I had no idea what was going wrong! lol :)

And of course, great shots SDCPs! What's the tallest height one of your D. indica have ever reached?
 
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