Can Drosera regia be successfully grown in the extreme desert climate of Las Vegas?
Part 1
I have wanted to try Drosera regia ever since I started growing CPs in 2017 but hesitated due to its culture requirements. Las Vegas is as hot and dry as locales go, and I didn’t want to deal with a fragile plant that would require a lot of special handling. A window sill or my outside growing area were the only options.
This year, I caved to temptation and decided to experiment with regia knowing the odds were stacked against the plant’s long-term survival. My goal was to have the plant survive a Las Vegas summer with a minimum of special treatment. So, a young regia joined my collection in April. Its largest leaf was 4 inches long. It had 3 roots… none of which exceeded an inch or so in length.
The new arrival. IMG_6222.JPG (2.3 MiB) Viewed 4333 times
D. regia settling in 3 weeks after its arrival. IMG_6888.JPG (3.43 MiB) Viewed 4333 times
Because the regia would need to sit in water during the day to ensure it didn't dry out while I was at work, it was placed in a much larger, deeper container about a month after its arrival. The plant would eventually sit in 0.25 - 0.75 inches of water throughout the summer.
D. regia was repotted 1 month after its arrival. IMG_7300.JPG (2.42 MiB) Viewed 4333 times
Regia spent lots of time outdoors during the spring, but once outside temps hit about 90F, the window sill of an upstairs room became its home. The plant received afternoon sun in a southwestern window and sent out leaf after leaf until outside temps reached 100F. At that point, dew production began to stall. (Note: This room is not cooled during the summer, and the room’s ambient afternoon temp hovers around 95F - 100F during the height of summer. Humidity is around 17% year-round.)
The regia was moved to a morning sun location in a southeastern window in the same room. It tolerated this new location at first, but dew production once again slowed as summer temps continued to ratchet upwards, and at 105F, I had no choice but to give the plant the cool nights it prefers by sticking it in the family fridge during the overnight hours, especially since the ambient overnight temp in its room rarely fell below 82F. This worked until 110F hit....
D. regia getting its beauty sleep. 20190916_124027.jpg (3.07 MiB) Viewed 4333 times