Normal Fall Dormancy in Round-Leaf Sundew vs. Tropical Lance-Leaf Sundew

A grower's Drosera rotundifolia (round-leaf sundew) began dying back in late September, while D. adelae (lance-leaf sundew) also showed dieback. He asked if the round-leaf sundew was entering dormancy early or if something was wrong.

Jeff Dallas confirms D. rotundifolia is behaving normally: North American sundews enter dormancy in late summer/fall. All outer leaves die, forming a central hibernaculum (resting bud) that persists until late March.

However, D. adelae is tropical and should not die back. Dallas asks where it's being grown, implying the conditions are inappropriate for this Australian species.

This highlights a critical distinction: temperate sundews (D. rotundifolia, D. filiformis, D. intermedia, etc.) require winter dormancy, while tropical/subtropical species (D. adelae, D. capensis, D. spatulata, etc.) grow year-round. Misidentifying a plant's dormancy needs leads to loss.