Expert: Christopher Littrell - 5/15/2007

Question
I have had the same plant for 3 years now and there are two smaller plants growing out of the base of the large plant. My question relates to blooming. Last year and the year before the plant sent up a nice flower stalk but each time it dried up and I never got any flowers or seeds. It is sending up a flower stalk now and I'd like to see some flowers this year. I think my problem may be a lack of light, the plant is in an east facing window and gets good light all morning but no light after noon. The leaves in years past were upright but this year none of them are. I have the plant sitting in a tray of water but I water the tray not the pot. Any ideas?

Scott

Answer
Hello Scott,

One of the main factors contributing to flower and seed production is light. I would say that you are correct in your thinking that the plant needs more light to fully develop. Drosera filiformis is a North American species with three different variations that all prefer full sunlight. In an east window, they probably will not receive enough light to do more than produce leaves. The prostrate nature of the leaves this year signals that the plant might be seeking more light. When a plant looks for more light, phototropism, it might extend its leaves in different directions seeking that light, typically towards the greatest intensity. If you cannot place the plant outdoors, try to place it in a south facing window that receives bright sun and supplement it with a 40 watt florescent shop light or 100 watt compact florescent light at least 6 inches or less from the leaves. If you can, place it on a sunny patio or other area protected from animals after slowly adjusting the plant to high light by placing it in progressively sunnier locations. One week in a south window, or in slight shade outside, then in full light the following week would be fine since you already have it in an east window. The main thing is give it as much light as you can so you can give it the best chance at thriving. North American carnivorous species almost without exception require much more light than tropical carnivorous plants.

When you see that a plant requires full sun of so many hours a day to survive, it really means that the plant needs to be outside to get the full spectrum of light that the sun provides. A window is made to cut back on ultraviolet light and some of the other parts of the light spectrum as humans require much less than full sun to read by and do not require much ultraviolet light to survive. Windows are simply not full sun.

Keep up the good care and your plants will thrive.

Christopher