Drosera — carnivorous plant with sticky tentacles

The Drosera is one of the most fascinating carnivorous plants to observe. Its leaves are covered with tentacles ending in shiny droplets that look like dew—hence its name "sundew." But this dew is a trap: insects that land on it get stuck, and the leaf slowly closes to digest them.

Our Drosera Varieties

Drosera capensis (Cape sundew) is the easiest species to grow and the most spectacular in action. Its long narrow leaves, covered with shiny red tentacles, visibly curl around their prey within a few hours—a true slow-motion show. It’s the ideal Drosera to start with. Drosera aliciae forms a compact, symmetrical rosette of spatula-shaped leaves arranged in a spiral, each sprinkled with sparkling droplets. More discreet than the Capensis, it is just as effective and very decorative with its geometric shape.

How Does the Drosera Trap Work?

Each tentacle produces a sticky, sweet mucilage that attracts small insects (gnats, fungus gnats, mosquitoes). On contact, the insect becomes trapped by the viscous substance. Nearby tentacles then slowly bend toward the prey to maximize contact, and the leaf begins to secrete digestive enzymes. Digestion takes a few days, after which the leaf unfolds and returns to its original shape, ready for a new catch. To learn everything about indoor carnivorous plants, read our complete guide to carnivorous plants.

Drosera Care

Drosera naturally grows in peat bogs, which dictates its needs: lots of water, lots of light, and poor soil. Use only blonde peat or a peat-perlite mix—never regular potting soil, which is too rich and would kill the plant. Water using the saucer method: keep 1 to 2 cm of water permanently in the saucer so the substrate stays constantly moist. Use only rainwater, demineralized water, or reverse osmosis water—tap water contains minerals that are toxic to carnivorous plants. Our complete watering guide details the different methods.

Light Exposure: Maximum Light

Drosera is a full sun plant. The more direct light it receives, the redder and stickier its tentacles become, and the more insects it captures. A south-facing windowsill is the ideal spot. With insufficient light, the tentacles pale, produce less mucilage, and the plant weakens. In summer, Drosera capensis can be placed on the balcony in full sun—it will love it. Check out our article light and humidity: finding the right balance to assess the brightness of your rooms.

Should You Feed a Drosera?

No, Drosera feeds itself. Indoors, it naturally catches gnats and small flying insects present in the environment—it’s actually an excellent ally against fungus gnats that infest the pots of your other plants. Never give it fertilizer (neither in the substrate nor foliar) and do not feed it meat or dead insects that are too large: this causes the leaves to rot.

Drosera and Other Carnivorous Plants

Drosera pairs very well with other carnivores to create a mini peat bog garden. Combine it with Sarracenia (pitcher plants) for verticality, a suspended Nepenthes (pitcher plant), and a Dionaea (Venus flytrap) to vary trap types. All these species share the same water and substrate needs. Find all our species in the carnivorous plants collection and our collector plants collection.