Drosera spatulata

Growing in Pots, Balconies & Indoors

The spoon-leaved sundew is a small, easy rosette carnivore that colours up red in strong light. It is not for a dim room, but on a bright, sunny windowsill it grows readily, given mineral-free water and a lean, peaty mix.

Quick Details

• Container Size: Small – a 8-10 cm (3-4 inch) pot
• Indoor Suitability: Windowsill only – a very bright, sunny sill, not a dim room
• Best Spot: Full sun to bright light for red colour and dew
• Soil & Drainage: A lean, nutrient-free carnivorous mix – sphagnum peat with perlite or lime-free sand; never ordinary potting soil, compost, fertilizer, or lime.
• Watering in Pots: Only mineral-free water – rainwater, distilled, or reverse-osmosis – never hard tap water, whose minerals build up and harm the plant. Stand the pot in a shallow tray of that water so the mix stays constantly wet.

Indoors & On the Windowsill

• Windowsill grower: Just as the grower says, it does best indoors on a window – a bright sill with direct sun brings out the compact red rosette; low light draws it up pale.
• Care indoors: Keep it standing in mineral-free water; this subtropical sundew grows year-round on a warm sill with no cold dormancy.

On a Balcony or Patio

• Light & wind: A bright, sheltered outdoor spot suits it in the warm season; keep the water tray topped up, as pots in sun and wind dry out fast, and shelter it from drying wind.
• Practicalities: Use rainwater for topping up; a filled tray adds weight, so make sure shelving or railings can take it.

Choosing the Pot, Soil & Long-Term Care

• Pot & water tray: Use a plastic or glazed pot (terracotta leaches minerals and dries too fast); unusually for a potted plant, keep it standing in a shallow water tray rather than letting it drain dry.
• Potting mix: Nutrient-free only – sphagnum peat blended with perlite or lime-free sand. Ordinary compost or feed will kill the roots.
• Feeding: Do not fertilize – these plants draw their nutrients from the insects they catch, so rich soil or feed will scorch the roots.
• Repotting: Refresh the peat mix every year or two in the warmer months, before the old mix breaks down and turns sour.

Bloom & Flower Guide

Quick Details

• Bloom Season: Summer
• Time to First Bloom: Quick, often within the first year
• Flower Appearance: Small purple-magenta to pink, five-petalled flowers with yellow stamens on a tall stem
• Edibility: A carnivorous ornamental; not eaten

Detailed Blooming Overview

Spoon-leaved sundew (Drosera spatulata) is a small, adaptable sundew that flowers readily. Its blooms are self-pollinating and produce plenty of seed.

Flower Characteristics

• Five-petalled flowers, purple-magenta to pink, with yellow stamens on a slender scape.
• Self-pollinating and free-seeding.

Bloom Care & Thinning

• Managing the bloom: Leave the stalk for seed, or trim it on small plants to conserve energy.
• Conditions: Bright light and pure (low-mineral) water keep it flowering.