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Drosera erythrorhiza squamosa.. A Crippling Case of the Wants

Dexenthes

Aristoloingulamata
So last night I discovered this specie online and have become absolutely smitten. It's got to be one of the most beautiful of all dews!

It's tuberous, from SW Australia, that much I know. And a quick search online found one ebay listing for seeds of this subspecies.

How rare is it in cultivation? Am I looking for a next to impossible plant to find? How likely is it that the seeds will be any good if I did order them? And how likely is it that the seeds are just wild harvested? I don't want to support that type of business if it's true...

But to those of you that grow this plant, if there are any, what conditions does it need? Lowland? Arid? more temperate? And how do you simulate the dry season?

Also include any pics or relevant stories you've had regarding the difficulties or ease that you've experienced cultivating this plant. Please. :)

Thanks in advance!
 
If you can meet its requirements it's not a difficult species. Its behavior is typical of tuberous droseras: They like a mixture of sand and peat in about 50-50 ratios. Growers advise against perlite because it makes locating tubers difficult. The species grows during the Australian winter when temperatures are cool and the weather is wet - in our hemisphere that would be during the months of October to about March. While growing, it's important that they have good sunlight and you feed them often. During this time they can sit in a tray of water like most other sundews. Once the plant begins to die back, cut down on the watering - eventually the whole plant will die back to its bulb, erasing any indication that it was ever there. At this point you can take your pots and keep them in a shaded spot - misting the tops of the pots occasionally to keep the medium from turning to concrete or some other people simply put the pots in plastic bags and store them in a dry place. By around September, pull them out of storage and start misting the tops of the pots. Keep an eye for growth - the moment that you see leaves protruding from the ground, start watering again. At this time you may resume the tray method.
 
Thanks Brokken, that's exactly what I was looking to hear!

What about the availability of this plant? Is it a "Holy Grail" of sorts? And how about sowing seeds, will it need a simulated burning to sprout?
 
that is beautiful dew
 
Mine did not come up last year.
So early spring I decided to take a look at what was going on. I still have 2 tubers and replanted them. Hope they come up this year.
I grow them in a south facing window. They grow ok, but with the short daylight could really use some extra lighting....
Maybe I'll repot them again and place them in a pot I can fit in one of my terrariums....

Well I took a look to re-potting it. Not good. Looks like it started to regrow from the tuber at some point, but died. Probably too dry. I had neglected it for some time....
 
Hmmm.... Puzzling! Perhaps they came from the Southern hemisphere and simply couldn't jump into our growth season?

I found a place that has tubers, but I'd like to try seed so that I don't have to make the hemispherical adjustment. Anyone familiar with growing from seed?
 
Regarding the seed of Drosera erythrorhiza and it's ssp. this plant shares the fire ecology of Australia. The large seed is very well adapted for long survival, waiting for the flash fires in habitat to make growing space available for the germinating seed. Your second challenge (the first being finding seed that is still good) is to get it to germinate. In my limited experience, this was by far the most difficult species in the genus to germinate. I pass this all on as hearsay, I never tested some of these methods, although I did try soaking the seed in boiling water, and in solutions of GA2 and GA3, knicking the seed coat with a razor blade. and also using smoke water. The plants did not come and say G'day to me. I saved all the pots I sowed the seed in, and my seed was taken from habitat that season so I am assured it was fresh. I set the pots aside, and 3 years later Robert Gibson in Australia sent me photo's of the Aussie sky with huge mountains of smoke in the sky from the worst brush fires there in a decade. Some time later both he and Phill MAnn told me the Drosera erythrorhiza all over Oz were germinating prolifically. That got me thinking about my pots, and I checked where I had them to find my seed too had germinated. I believe somehow there was some sort of long distance communication between the habitat and my seed. As we only receive some 49 per cent available sun here, my plants didn't grow well. did not have enough energy to form the required new tuber that will carry the plant through the next season, and passed from my collection. If I were to try it again, I would make a more sandy gravelly mix, 70 sand 30 peat, and put the mix in large clay pots. Then I would build a cone of fast burning material on top of the pot and fire her off. I have never heard of success with indoor culture of this plant and consider it an outdoor, or greenhouse plant. My advice would be to try some of the easier tuberous species to get the feel before going broke on this one, and if you do elect to grow it, seek out a U.S. source because getting the tubers acclimated to this hemisphere's seasons isn't easy either. The next challenge is dealing with their dormancy, and I've been told if you let them die back too quickly, the energy reserves stored in the plants leaves can't translocate to the tuber, and this is essential. The dying back process needs to be as prolonged as possible. Beware the advice that says the pots should be dry. Dry here means mostly dry. but with some moisture remaining to keep the tuber from drying out. I hope this helps, and that you become a successful grower of this outstanding species. My appeal to you is to not purchase these tubers from anyone in Australia where populations of this species aren't what they were.
 
Tamlin, now THAT is exactly what I was looking to hear. That's amazing that your seeds germinated corresponding with the habitat. I wouldn't even doubt their connection either.

Ok, so it is easily even more challenging then I had thought. Makes me want to grow broke all the more. :D But you're probably right, I should try a less challenging tuberous dew first, I suppose to see if it is even possible for me to grow a plant up here in the most opposite climate there is.

Thanks so much for the advice and knowledgeable response, and if I ever do get one I will do my best to make sure it's not from wild populations.
 
Dex,

Thanks for the compliments! I encourage you to try growing your dream plant. I might be getting some seed in the near future of this species...not sure what my friend will send but if I get it it will come to you. Also, if I find an ethical source for tubers I'll let you know. Thank you so much for your support on not encouraging wild collection for resale by purchasing tubers from Australia!
 
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