Drosera alba Ø9cm

Drosera alba is a South African carnivorous plant, a sundew whose narrow leaves are covered with glistening tentacles tipped with sticky droplets of mucilage that catch small insects. Its flowers are a pure white, raised above the rosette. It prefers plenty of light, rainwater and a poor, acidic substrate. A fascinating little predator for the collector. Care instructions The secret to a thriving Drosera alba lies in imitating its native bog: plenty of light, pure water and a poor, permanently moist substrate. Once you grasp these principles, the plant becomes surprisingly patient and forgiving. It needs no frequent repotting, no trimming and no complicated feeding; all it asks for is consistency and a little sun. Place it at the brightest window, alongside relatives such as Drosera aliciae or the spectacular Drosera filiformis, and you will have a small carnivorous bog that feeds itself. Light: as much light as possible, including a few hours of direct sun. A south-facing window is ideal. Intense light deepens the red colour of the tentacles and stimulates mucilage production; weak light makes the plant pale and stretched. Temperature: it thrives best at moderate temperatures. It tolerates the warm season above 18-25°C well, but appreciates the cool of winter, when it grows most vigorously. Slightly cool winters, between 5 and 15°C, respect its natural rhythm. Watering: keep the substrate permanently moist, using exclusively rainwater, distilled or demineralised water. The 'tray' method - the pot standing in a saucer with 1-2 cm of water - is ideal. Tap water, rich in salts and lime, harms the roots. Humidity: high to moderate. It benefits from good humidity but tolerates indoor air if the roots stand permanently in water. An open terrarium or proximity to other plants helps. Substrate: poor and acidic - a classic mix of acidic peat and silica sand or perlite, in equal parts, without fertilisers. Ordinary, nutrient-rich potting soil is fatal to it. Feeding: not necessary if the plant catches its own insects. Never fertilise through the soil; if you wish, you may occasionally offer a single fly on a leaf. Do not give it meat or table foods. Propagation: through seeds, leaf cuttings laid on moist substrate, or division. The leaves have a remarkable ability to generate new plantlets from any fragment. A note on common mistakes, easily avoided: the most frequent is watering with tap water, which builds up salts over time that burn the roots - always use rainwater or distilled water. The second is placing the plant in too dark a spot, which makes it lose its colour and mucilage; simply move it to a brighter window. The third is the temptation to 'feed' it with pieces of meat or fertiliser - the plant copes perfectly with the small insects it catches on its own. Once these three pitfalls are avoided, care becomes almost automatic. With these few simple attentions, Drosera alba becomes a fascinating companion, a plant that not only decorates but also tells a story - of evolution, of survival and of the hidden intelligence of the plant world. Explore the other carnivorous plants in the Eufloria collection to build your own miniature bog. Specifications Pot diameter: 9 cm Total height (incl. pot): 20 cm