Cape Sundew (Drosera) care guide
Drosera capensis · Droseraceae
Cape Sundew (Drosera) (Drosera capensis) is a terrarium plant. It belongs to the Droseraceae family. It is native to Southern Cape of South Africa; permanently wet, nutrient-poor seeps, stream banks and coastal wetlands. It needs high – bright light or full sun for red, dewy tentacles; a normal windowsill is often too dim light. Water temperature: 10°C – 35°C. Care difficulty: Easy. Growth rate: fast.
How do you care for Cape Sundew (Drosera)?
| Light | High – bright light or full sun for red, dewy tentacles; a normal windowsill is often too dim |
|---|---|
| CO₂ | Likes humidity above normal room levels (no figure in sources) |
| Temperature | 10°C – 35°C |
| Placement | SUITS closed and open terrariums – among the best terrarium carnivores because it needs no winter dormancy. In a closed tank give strong light and a little ventilation to limit mould. Note: temperate sundews (e.g. D. rotundifolia, D. filiformis, some D. binata forms) DO need a cold winter and are poor closed-terrarium plants. |
| Growth | Fast |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Family | Droseraceae |
How do you trim and propagate Cape Sundew (Drosera)?
Remove dead lower leaves as the rosette grows. Cut flower stalks after blooming unless you want seedlings everywhere – it self-pollinates and drops hundreds of seeds. Easy from fresh seed, leaf cuttings on wet sphagnum, or root cuttings.
What problems affect Cape Sundew (Drosera)?
No sticky dew, green stretched leaves from low light or dry air; blackening and decline from tap/hard-water minerals or fertiliser; mould, algae or moss over the media in warm wet tanks; aphids, mealybugs, grey mould.
How do you fix Cape Sundew (Drosera) problems?
Only rain, distilled or RO water; keep the medium permanently moist to wet, ideally from a tray below. Grow in peat with sand or perlite, or in sphagnum. NEVER fertilise the soil – it catches its own small insects, fungus gnats included. For mould, add airflow and refresh the surface.
Where does Cape Sundew (Drosera) come from?
Southern Cape of South Africa; permanently wet, nutrient-poor seeps, stream banks and coastal wetlands
What should you know before buying Cape Sundew (Drosera)?
D. capensis is invasive in New Zealand: a National Pest Plant Accord species (unwanted organism under the Biosecurity Act 1993) that may not be sold, propagated, distributed or released there. It has also naturalised in parts of Australia, the USA, Japan, Brazil and the Azores – do not let seed escape outdoors. Not CITES-listed.
Sources
- Drosera capensis L. — Kew, Plants of the World Online
- Growing subtropical Drosera — International Carnivorous Plant Society
- Drosera capensis narrow-leaved — Royal Horticultural Society
- How to grow carnivorous plants — Royal Horticultural Society
- Drosera capensis — Wikipedia
- Cape sundew — Auckland Council (Tiaki Tāmaki Makaurau)
- Cultivating Carnivorous Plants — United States Botanic Garden
- What carnivorous plants are covered by CITES? — The Carnivorous Plant FAQ (Barry Rice), revised 2018
Care details checked against these sources on 2026-09-23.
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