Question
Hi,

I'm about 10-15 min. away from Winston-Salem NC and I wish to talk about rosetted and cape sundews as potential bog garden candidates. I recently inquired about good starting sundews to gain some experience with the genera. I have taken your advice and am waiting on a drosera rotundifolia to arrive. Would cape and rosetted sundews be good beginner plants (considering I would like to grow and overwinter them in my bog if at all possible)? From what little I've read I've gained some hope that with appropriate winter protection they might at least come back from the roots.

The only other thing I would ask about would be in regards to ibicella lutea. I'm very intrigued about growing it and have ordered seeds. I'm fairly ignorant on it as far as cultivation goes. Do you think it would tolerate bog conditions?

Thanks as always for the advice as well as pointing me towards the right direction for good beginner temperate sundews.

Daniel

Answer
Hi Daniel,

In considering sundews to put in your bog garden you have to take into consideration how cold it gets in the winter where you are, and how cold it gets where the sundew comes from.  In the case of Cape Sundews, they are from South Africa, and most of the South African Sundews would be considered USDA zone 9.  They can take a light frost, but not a long, hard freeze.  In a bog garden they will often come back from the roots.  The same is true with D. binata plants of different forms.  More tropical forms of D. spatulata from Australia and Southeast Asia can't take freezes at all.  Yet, there are forms from Japan and New Zealand that would be perfectly happy.  You just have to do some research on what forms different growers carry.  All of our spatulata are from Northern Australia, and are not hardy.

We'll soon have some North American sundews for sale such as D. intermedia and D. filiformis, and D. x hybrida, the cross of those two.  Those are perfect bog garden sundews.

Ahh, you're going to try an Ibicella.  Not really a carnivore; but a fascinating plant.  They are actually a semi-desert plant.  Just plant your seeds in some good quality, but good drainage potting soil.  They like a little fertilizer.  They love hot weather.  Their leaves are sticky and nasty as a defense against bugs, and that is why they were long thought to be carnivorous.  Beware of their seed pods.  They are vicious hooks.  Here's more information:  http://www.carnivorousplants.org/howto/GrowingGuides/Ibicella.php

Good Growing!

Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.growcarnivorousplants.com