SUNDEW - DROSERA CAPENSIS 'ALBA'

I was mooching yesterday, as I so often do, at the Royal Horticultural Society garden centre in Harlow Carr, in the greenhouse section.  I was admiring the cacti and the succulents, then spotted a group of little carnivorous plants right next to them.  Morbid carnivorous plants may seem, these were quite pretty and so I bought three different ones.  Drosera capensis 'Alba', as you can tell by it's name and images below is a whiteish version in the Drosera capensis family.  Now, I didn't buy them just for the look of them.  I often get those pesky little aphids and midges and fruit flies in my home and while I leave small spiders that make webs up near the ceiling, they don't always do a great job of it.  So.  So, I bought the carnivorous plants.  I get home, look for the little flies and find virtually nothing.  I go in the garden and look for aphids.  Nothing.  When was the last time I didn't find aphids on any of my plants?  Never. !

Drosera capensis Alba 07072016

 

Those little sparkly globes at the end of the tentacles (that's what they call them) on the leaf blades are not water but, as you would expect they are a sticky substance which not only traps small insects that make the mistake of getting too close but the drops also contain digestive enzymes. 

Drosera capensis Alba 07072016

Now, when I bought the plants, the label said: "CARE  This bog plant prefers a bright position.  Place the pot in a saucer with much water". 

Now that's helpful but not helpful enough when you look on the internet and find that there are lots of things involved in successfully growing these interesting plants.  It's far too long winded and complicated for a novice such as me to try and explain here so here is an interesting link I found:

Carnivorous Plants - Growing Drosera capensis (carnivorousplants.org)

Having looked at all the requirements, mine will be lucky if they see Christmas!




Drosera capensis Alba 08072016



My Drosera capensis Alba has a white flower growing on a tall stem. 

 



Drosera capensis eat their prey by curling their leaves and tentacles over the trapped insect.  Not a pretty sight but here is a YouTube link of Drosera capensis eating its prey for the curious to watch it happen.