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Hello there!

I'm trying to look for sundews that can be grown in tropical environment. The place I'm living in is quite hot and humid. The temperature range is between 20C to 35C/68F to 95F or maybe slightly higher. Humidity ranges from 40% in the afternoon and 90% at night.

I cannot grow D. Capensis here. They are really intolerant of heat! I was told that D. Hamiltonii and D. Sessifolia grows like weed here though. I have successfully grown D. Binata by providing partial shade from the sun. D. Paradoxa and D. Lanata can be grown as well.

What kind of sundews can I grow? Thanks in advance!

PS: Any idea if these need dormancy and can be grown in tropical climates? :

D. Hybrida (IntermediaxFiliformis)
D. Venusta
D. Natalensis
D. Hilaris
D. sp Lantau
D. Admirabilis
D. Cuneifolia
D. spec. Pretty Rosette
D. Trinervia

Once again, thanks in advance!
 
D. hybrida needs winter dormancy so that's probably out. D. hilaris and D. trinervia have summer dormancy so probably won't like the constant high temperatures but they might chug along for a couple years before expiring. The rest of the South Africans might do ok as your temperature range is within their limits. Then again it is also in the range for D. capensis too.

D. sp. Lantau should be tropical so it should fare well.

Any of the tropical D. spatulata should do well. If you get at least a 10°F drop at night you can probably grow South America Drosera with no problems.

68°F/20°F is probably the lowest temperature I would go with Wooly Sundews but otherwise as you say they should do ok.

Cindy in Singapore can probably give you some good suggestions.
 
Hi Cheng (are you the same one on GCS?),

D. binata enjoys full sun so do leave them in the brighter places. With shade, their leaves tend to become weak and floppy.

D. capensis is one which I can vouch as a no-go for lowland conditions. However, your temperature range is 20C to 35C/68F to 95F so the species should thrive for you. It needs cool nights (20C is low enough) and is not affected by high day temperatures.

D. Hamiltonii is not easy if your growing area is not cool at night although it is still slightly easier than D. capensis.

D. sessilifollia and D. burmannii grow very well in the tropics. Most of the petiolaris complex sundew species will do well too.

From your list, D. hybrida and D. sp. Lantau would be fine. D. filiformis and D. intermedia would grow continually without winter dormancy in the tropics.

Other species you can try growing:
D. adelae
D. hartmeyerorum
D. indica
D. spatulata
certain pygmy sundews
 
You might be able to try filiformis 'red' which grows as a tropical plant.
 
D. brevifolia will grow in tropical conditions but is basically biennial in nature so be sure to allow some to flower and reseed your pot. You can clip the flowers to keep them going longer but keep a new generation from seed going just in case. It seems that plants of this species from drier climates are capable of a dry dormancy like tuberous and pygmy Drosera and can come back after a dry spell.
 
Thank you for the replies! Fancy seeing you here too Cindy! XD

@Not a number - Any other American sundews I can grow?

@Wolfn - Sure! I now have filiformis typical and another one, var tracyii. Loving them so far!
 
From your list, D. hybrida and D. sp. Lantau would be fine.
Cindy,
Do you grow hybrida? This plant absolutely requires a dormancy in my conditions (as do filiformis - except red).
 
You can probably grow the relaxed dormancy Drosera anglica such as Drosera anglica "CA × HI" or Drosera anglica 'Hawaii' from the Kanaele Bog. The Alakai Swamp population doesn't seem to like warmer summer termperatures that the Kanaele Bog plants tolerate.

Drosera ×obovata 'Ivan's Paddle' and Drosera rotundifolia 'Charles Darwin' are also possibilities. True 'Ivan's Paddle' has to come from cuttings or divisions so it probably isn't found outside the US very often.

The tropical D. intermedia from Cuba and Roraima, Venezuela should be growable.
 
I don't think a typical filiformis will last long without dormancy...'red' can do without it but not sure on tracyi either.

I would think you would have good conditions for the SA dews ???
 
  • #10
@Not a number - Thank you for your suggestion :) Will be hunting for them soon.

@jpappy789 - Really? Mine seem to be doing fine at the moment... I guess I'll just keep propagating them to prevent them from dying out :) I'm pretty sure I can't grow SA dews. It's really hot here!
 
  • #11
Yeah I'm not sure whether they would be fine with consistently high temps although I'm sure they would love the humidity. It's not a group of Drosera I'm all that familiar with...
 
  • #12
Cindy,
Do you grow hybrida? This plant absolutely requires a dormancy in my conditions (as do filiformis - except red).

Hi Ron, I have not grown it before but filiformis (both green and red forms) does very well in our conditions in full sun. Basically, the plant continues to grow as the weather here is almost summer year round. We experience the same for VFT and Sarracenia. Multiple offshoots are produced even though the mother plant dies off sometimes (likely due to lack of dormacy). Overall, the plants end up more bushy.
 
  • #13
Thanks Cindy - very interesting! I never would have thought they could grow there. Those plants form hibernacula for me even when growing in a terrarium with the same photoperiod all year...
 
  • #14
Hi Ron, the amount and intensity of light make the difference.

My balcony is in bright shade for about 4 months out of the entire year so the temperate sundews do go dormant during the longer monsoon seasons but not every plant. Sometimes, the dormant ones wake up from a very short nap...sometimes, they don't. So I conscientiously take cuttings and collect seeds to maintain the species in my collection. In just 2 years, I lost my entire sundew collection because I was too busy...

Growers with gardens outdoors have better results. The temperate species thrive throughout the year.
 
  • #15
Cheng, I see you know Cindy! Are you aware of her wonderful book on "Growing Carnivorous Plants in the Tropics". It is a valuable reference and great read for those who have the problem of lack of variation between day/night temps in the tropics and the species that that can be adapted to these conditions, well worth the purchase for constant reference.
Cheers
 
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