Cape Sundews (Drosera capensis) are native to South Africa, and it is one of the most common carnivorous plants grown in cultivation. It is very easy to grow, and an adult plant will get up to 6 inches tall.

As with all sundews, Cape Sundews produce a thick sticky substance, technically called 'goo' here at our nursery. We also call it 'stuff' or 'glue' or 'thick sticky substance.' I'm also sure botanists have their own term, but it is usually something I can't pronounce, like hydromethylcellulose.

Whatever it is, it is the goo that makes Cape Sundews sparkle in sunlight. When you grow a bunch of them together, you will have a dazzling display that will mesmerize any insect.

These sundews are very easy to propagate. One very quick method is to grow them from seeds. Cape Sundew seeds germinate very quickly, usually within 3 weeks.

Once germinated, each seedling will reach adulthood within 2 years, at which time they will flower. Each flower stalk is capable of producing thousands of seeds. So from one adult plant, you can have enough seeds to produce a forest of sundews!

Another method for multiplying your sundews is to take leaf cuttings. This could be done with either young or mature plants because all you need are a few leaves.

Cut off a leaf near the stalk or growing point. Lay the leaf flat onto a pot of moistened soil of 1 part peat moss and 1 part perlite. Gently press the leaf into the soil so that the leaf is making good contact with the soil.

Once the leaf is set into the soil, spray it with a sulfur-based fungicide. This will prevent fungal infections and mold. You can find fungicides at your local hardware store or nursery. Make sure you follow the directions on the bottle.

Next, place a clear plastic cup over the leaf to keep the humidity very high, and place the pot in small amounts of standing water. Give your leaf lots of bright indirect light or grow it under 40W fluorescent tubes. You could also use compact fluorescent bulbs that are equivalent to 100W. Just avoid using incandescent bulbs. Keep the light source approximately 6-8 inches above the leaf.

Within 3 weeks, you will see tiny plantlets emerging from the leaf. After a couple of months, these plantlets will develop enough of a root system so that you could transplant them into their own pots. To do this, carefully cut out the plantlet from the main leaf and transplant it into a small pot of soil.

Each Cape Sundew leaf can develop up to 10 additional sundews. Because you do not have to wait until the plant flowers to propagate it, you can use this method any time of the year.

Leaf cuttings work well on nearly all types of sundews, including North American varieties. But, we have seen it work the best with Cape Sundews.

So, if you want to grow your own forest of sundews, try either of these two easy methods of propagation.

To learn more about growing Cape Sundews, visit cobraplant.com/drosera-capensis.html

By: Jacob Farin
Jacob is co-owner of Sarracenia Northwest, an online nursery specializing in the cultivation of beautiful carnivorous plants. For myth-free information about carnivorous plants, visit http://www.cobraplatn.com.

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A pitcher plant is a type of carnivorous plant that has tube-shaped leaves, hence the name pitcher plant. Along the rim of each pitcher are glands that secrete nectar. Insects are attracted to this nectar, so they buzz around, licking up all of the nectar they can. Some pitchers even produce an insect narcotic to sweeten the deal for them.

Just beneath the rim, on the inside of the pitcher, are glands that produce even more intoxicating nectar. This drives insects crazy, so they reach in, stretching as much as they can to reach the mother lode of nectar, and then they fall in!

With some pitcher plants, the tops of their pitchers are lined with hairs that point downward, preventing insects from crawling back out. Other pitcher plants simply have very smooth walls, which are too slippery on which for insects to crawl.

Depending on the pitcher plant, there may be fluid produced by the plant that slowly digests the insects. Other pitcher plants simply wait until the insect dies from heat exhaustion or starvation. As the insect decays, the plant absorbs the nutritious morsel, hence the name carnivorous plant.

Now, one of the reasons why I grow pitcher plants, specifically the North American varieties, is because I am lazy. Sure the insect-eating part sounds cool, but if these plants needed constant care and maintenance, I wouldn't even attempt to grow them.

Like my dog Hank, if you gave me a choice of taking a nap in the hot afternoon summer sun or having to provide constant attention to a collection of seemingly delicate plants, you bet I am going to take a nap and let those plants fend for themselves.

That is why North American pitcher plants, collectively known as Sarracenia, are the perfect plants for someone like myself. With these plants, all you need to do is set them outside in full sun, over water them and toss the fertilizer in the trashcan.

Far too many folks mistake Sarracenias as delicate prima donnas who need constant attention. These plants are actually quite adaptable to extreme conditions and grow very well in a variety of climates. In fact, you can find many of these plants growing in the wild from Eastern Texas through Georgia and all the way up into Canada!

Sarracenias are sun-loving bog plants and enjoy the summer heat. Like kids on a hot summer day, they revel in sitting in water and catching bugs. So set them in a big tray of water and let them catch bugs on their own. Remember, bugs are like little packets of fertilizer. So in a way, these plants fertilize themselves.

Now, how maintenance-free is that?

So no matter where you live in the world, you can grow just about any variety of Sarracenia outdoors. The varieties that are native to the southern regions of the United States are especially tough and adapt well to lower humidity and hot summer weather.

There are long-time pitcher plant enthusiasts in Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Denver, Phoenix, Houston, Atlanta and Tampa who have successfully grown Sarracenia pitcher plants outdoors with very minimal care. Full sun and a tray of water are all they gave their plants.

Sure there are a few modifications to their care when the temperature approaches 110°F (43°C) or if you have very hard water, but it is nothing like having to mist your plants every hour on the hour or douse your plant with imported bottled water. In most instances, daily top watering is all that is necessary. You can do that when you get home from work, right?

Sarracenia pitcher plants really need nothing more than full sun and a tray of water to maintain their stunning and captivating appearance. With my collection of pitcher plants, I grow them strictly outdoors in 8-10 hours of direct sunlight. They all spend their days sitting in pools of water and catching bugs on their own.

Because they are native to the United States and Canada, pitcher plants will go dormant in winter and will tolerate freezing temperatures. As container plants, they are hardy to 20°F (-7°C). When the weather warms up again in spring, they come right back to life.

So if you have been hesitant in getting carnivorous plants because of the amount of care you thought they needed, start with Sarracenia pitcher plants. They are easy to grow and nearly maintenance-free. But most of all, they are the perfect plants for people like myself who enjoy afternoon naps on hot summer days.

By: Jacob Farin
Jacob Farin is co-owner of Sarracenia Northwest, a nursery specializing in the cultivation of carnivorous plants located in Eagle Creek, Oregon. He is also co-author of Secrets to Growing Beautiful Carnivorous Plants for Your Home and Garden. For more information about the successful growing of pitcher plants and other types of carnivorous plants, visit http://www.CobraPlant.com.

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