Drosera aliciae The Alice Sundew
Drosera aliciae is a beautiful rosetted South African sundew. It is a subtropical sundew, and is the easiest sundew I've ever grown. It was one of the first sundews I grew from seed, but it always kept trucking along-even when my D. capensis was near-death!I highly reccommend Drosera aliciae to new growers.
Recommended mix: 1 peat: 1 sand (silica is
best).
Other options: 100% Long-fibered sphagnum, 1 peat:1 perlite
Other options: 100% Long-fibered sphagnum, 1 peat:1 perlite
Media moisture:
Keep moist. D. aliciae can tolerate a little drier to very moist soils.
Humidity:
Very little is needed for Drosera aliciae, but my recommended range is over 60%
Temperature:
Drosera aliciae handles warmer temperatures well (tested to 90 degrees F) but it will not thrive if humidity is lower during this time. Don't subject Drosera aliciae to temperatures lower than 40 degress F (to be safe) or the plant may die back to the roots. However, the plant will come back from the roots, like a perennial once conditions are favorable again.
Pot height:
I started growing Drosera aliciae from seed in a wide 5 inch tall pot. They grow much slower if they are crowded as seen in the first picture. Drosera aliciae has long, thick roots, so I'd recommend pots that are 5+ inches tall. However, I've seen Drosera aliciae growing well in a small yogurt cup, so any size works.
Feeding:
Drosera aliciae grows much faster when fed. My plants grown from seed didn't flower until I fed them. They also reach a larger size when are consistently fed. See the sundew feeding page.
Plant dimensions:
Plants can get tall over time, with leaves 3-inches long or bigger. This can reach about 2-inches across if given enough space.
Lighting:
Will turn red-orange if given intense sun. Otherwise, will have orange-green leaves with red tentacles if given a little less light, or fed more frequently.
Dormancy requirements:
D. aliciae does not need dormancy, and can be grown indoors year-round.
Flowers:
D. aliciae flowers are quite large. Plants grown from seed take a while before flowering. D. aliciae is self-fertile and produce copious amounts of seed.
Clumping habit:
D. aliciae tends to clump over time, once plants get established (especially if in smaller pots) see Dividing instructions in the propagation section below.
Above: Drosera aliciae seedlings and a beautiful flower of Drosera aliciae
Starting from seed-
VERY easy if seed is fresh.
Drosera aliciae seeds do not require cold stratification.
Leaf-cuttings-
Drosera aliciae seeds do not require cold stratification.
work very well.
Root
cuttings- very easy. Drosera aliciae has long, thick roots
perfect for cuttings
Flower-stalk
cuttings- Drosera aliciae flower stalks are quite
large, so they have produced plantlets for me when I floated portions
of the stalk in water.
Divisions-
(learn how to
repot and divide sundews by clicking
here)very easy. Can be divided at any time
of the year, and will recover well. Just be careful not to break off
the main roots and you will be fine.
Additional Questions or Suggestions?
Contact me at: sundewman(at)yahoo.com