General Description:

Drosera is a genus of over 100 species of carnivorous plants, more than half of which occur in Australia.  They are herbaceous plants which are commonly referred to as ‘sundews’ and are found in moist acidic soils.  Insects are attracted to the flowers and become trapped on the sticky hairs covering the foliage.  The hairs exude enzymes which digest the insect’s protein to supplement the nutrients available to the plant.

Drosera binata grows in peaty soils in swampy areas and along the banks of creeks.  It is unusual in that it has narrow, branching leaves which uncoil in a manner similar to ferns. The white flowers occur in clusters of up to 30 and can be seen in spring to summer.

Droseras are popular plants in cultivation, especially for growing in containers.  Drosera binata is regarded as one of the easier species to grow, preferring an acid potting mix such as those with a high component of peat. Pot-grown plants can be kept moist by standing the pot in a saucer of water so that the mix is kept moist through capillary action.  The plant can also be grown in a bog garden situation in the open ground.

Drosera binata grows readily from seed which does not require any pre-treatment.  Cuttings from leaf stems are also successful.