Carnivorous Plants/Dewless Adelae

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Expert: - 3/5/2008


Question
Sometime ago, my adelae stopped producing dew.  For a while, I thought it was going through a phase.  I then checked online and thought that maybe the lights were too strong, so I took it out of my terrarium and put it next to it.  All my plants get plenty of distilled water, and they're in peat/perlite.  The adelae still gets light, but nothing strong.  It's been at least three months with no dew.  It still grows with no problems.  Any suggestions?

Answer
Hello Talisha,

Drosera adelae certainly do go through phases in which they occasionally grow more slowly, produce less dew, and look smaller. They seem to go through a rest period that can occur at almost any time. Repotting them or chopping the entire top off the plant causes them to grow back multiple plants from their roots unless they are sick or weak. First, check to make sure it gets plenty of light. Drosera adelae is a lower light sundew that cannot tolerate full sun, but can easily survive under strong florescent lights or in a south window. If the tentacles change color to red in new growth, the plant has a lot of light. If the tentacles are white or clear looking, they are getting low light. Dewless sundews often simply need more light.

Christopher

Carnivorous Plants

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Christopher Littrell

Expertise

I am capable of answering questions about the most common carnivorous plants found in cultivation. I have no personal experience with Byblis, Drosophyllum, Aldrovanda, and Heliamphora. I have not cultivated gemmae forming pygmy sundews nor tuberous sundews. For information regarding those aforementioned species, I would suggest contacting other experts. I can answer questions regarding most species of Nepenthes, tropical and temperate Drosera, Mexican Pinguicula, Sarracenias, and Dionaea. I have some limited experience with growing Utricularia, Cephalotus, and Darlingtonia.

Experience

I have grown carnivorous plants off and on for about 27 years. I have made the same mistakes and suffered the same mishaps that many growers make as they attempt to separate the myths from the realities of growing these plants. Currently, I am successfully growing a variety of tropical sundews, a Nepenthes, several Venus Flytraps of varying ages, and Sarracenias. I have been successful in stratifying Sarracenia seeds and providing artificial dormancy requirements for my temperate plants when needed.

Education/Credentials
I hold a Master's degree in Educational Psychology. Over my lifetime, I have constantly read books involving the growing conditions of carnivorous plants. I hope to incorporate the educational aspects involved in psychology with teaching other people how to cultivate carnivorous plants.

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