Plants
Sundew
Drosera · Droseraceae
The sundew is the most delicate of the carnivorous plants: its leaves carry hundreds of tentacles tipped with glistening sticky droplets, in which fungus gnats and fruit flies get caught. Here in Düsseldorf it is our insider tip for anyone annoyed by fungus gnats on their houseplants — beautiful and useful at once.
- Light
- Full sun to very bright — the more light, the more sticky droplets.
- Watering
- Constantly moist, standing in water — lime-free water only.
- Care level
- Medium
- Botanical
- Drosera
Unlike the Venus flytrap, the sundew works in slow motion: once an insect sticks to the glue, the tentacles and often the whole leaf slowly curl around it. The glistening “dew” that gives the plant its name is also its most important sign of health — if it is happy, it sparkles.
For the windowsill, the robust species are the ones to choose, above all the Cape sundew (Drosera capensis), which can stand warm all year and is nearly indestructible. Native bog species are protected and do not belong in the trade — what you get from us is exclusively nursery-propagated.
Care follows the classic carnivore rules: nutrient-poor bog substrate, a saucer of soft water and as much sun as possible. Hard tap water is the most common care mistake and ruins the plant slowly but surely.
You do not need to feed your sundew — enough flies around in any home, and placed next to other houseplants it reliably picks off fungus gnats. If it loses its sticky droplets, the cause is almost always air that is too dry or light that is too dim, not a lack of prey.
Is Sundew toxic to children and pets?
- Children
- Non-toxic
- Cats
- Non-toxic
- Dogs
- Non-toxic
Sundew is harmless to cats, dogs and children — the sticky droplets are innocuous and simply wash off your fingers.
Overview: toxic & non-toxic plants for cats, dogs and children
Care
- 01Place it as sunny as possible — a south-facing window makes the tentacles glow deep red.
- 02Use only rainwater or distilled water.
- 03In summer keep it standing in water: one to two centimetres in the saucer.
- 04Never fertilise and never repot into ordinary potting soil — carnivore substrate only.
- 05Keep robust species like Drosera capensis warm all year; simply pluck off spent leaves.
Frequently asked
- Do I need to feed my sundew?
- No. The sundew reliably catches fungus gnats and fruit flies on its own and lives primarily on photosynthesis. If you want to feed it, a tiny insect on a leaf now and then is plenty — fertiliser or food scraps are off limits.
- Does sundew really help against fungus gnats?
- Yes, surprisingly well. A Cape sundew placed among your houseplants catches a large share of the adult gnats and interrupts their breeding cycle. Against the larvae in the soil, it is best combined with disciplined watering.
- Why has my sundew stopped sparkling?
- Missing droplets are a warning sign: usually the air is too dry, the light too weak or it has been watered with hard water. Move it somewhere brighter, switch to rainwater and be patient — new leaves will form droplets again.