FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

I'd really like to buy a sundew plant, but am completely unsure as to what supplier to choose. I have a couple ideas on what species, but would like some suggestions from people who have bought them online before. Please?

I've heard & read great things about California Carnivores, which is run by Peter D' Amato. (He has an amazing book on CP's) http://www.californiacarnivores.com
They have a fantastic selection of sundews and other CPs at decent prices.

There is also the Flytrapstore, run by Matt and Leah. Although their selection of sundews is smaller than Californiacarnivores's you really can't beat the service, pricing, and generosity* that they provide.


*(I'm pretty sure anyone who has ordered from Flytrapstore greatly appreciates Leah's poor sizing ability, if you know what I mean.. )

There are probably other great CP suppliers out there, but these are these best two I know of.

As for the type of sundew to buy, there are several that are great for beginners. Since you're from NY, if you want to grow some dews inside, temperate sundews would probably be best. These will tolerate moderate temps, and are usually easy to grow. If you want to leave your sundews outside, cold (also called winter-growing) sundews would be a smart choice. However, one particular sundew that is great for beginners is the Cape Sundew. (Drosera capensis) These are easy to grow, great for almost all temps, and do not have a dormancy period. The latter means that you don't have to fret about lowering temps, or change watering schedules. I would highly recommend trying one of these for your first sundew. Capensis is also supposed to be easy to grow from seed as well

(Thanks to LAKJP, forgot that last point but your posting reminded me! Nice save, man! )

Have you thought of buying seeds and growing them? Most sundews grow to mature size in less the amount of time it does for VFT seeds. For seeds or live plants, you can always post a WANT thread here on the forum, and I'm sure you'll get some offers.

All the VFTs I've ordered online have been ordered bareroot and done well. Would that hold true for sundews? I see that that's an option on the California Carnivores website. I think I'm going to order a cape sundew from them. Any more suggestions?

Well, if you've got VFTs then you probably know the jist of what to do already. (only use purified water, no fertilizers, don't keep 'em waterlogged, etc.) However, (in my experience) use the tray method of watering for your dews and keep the water at an inch high whenever possible. I made (in my opinion) a fairly rookie mistake when I top-watered my sundews. I found that even careful watering will quickly wash the resin off the traps. This may not be a problem with Capensis, but better be safe than sorry.

EDIT: Oh, and it would be good to separate (if possible) the new plants from your old ones for about 6-7 days just in case of any contaminants/pests.

I placed my order. I'll update on how it goes.