Carnivorous Plants/Unknown Sundew

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Expert: - 7/24/2011


Question
Sundew
Sundew
I received a Sundew labelled Nitidula x Ericks in my pack of 6 sundews, but upon looking up the plant online mine looks nothing like that, save the thin, little flower stalks.

Is my plant really a Nitidula x Ericks or was it mislabeled? Perhaps it's another form of Nitidula?

Thanks as always for your time!

Answer
Hello Devon,

D. nitidula is a pygmy Sundew. I have not yet had the time to grow any of the gemmae bearing Sundews, so my knowledge base will be limited with those, as my profile indicates. Your picture is a bit blurry and indistinct, so I really cannot make out the structure of the sundews you have. I would need a good closeup of the rosette and leaf structure.

I would urge you to try this question with Sarracenia Northwest as they have experience with such pygmy Sundews and may be able to help you.

Pygmy Sundews are a bit different than the other Sundews you have and are not really a starter plant. The soil is the same and they need a lot of sunlight, but thy have different dormancy requirements and possess different reproductive strategies. They are also just tiny and difficult to care for unless you have good experience with other Sundews first.

Christopher

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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