Drosera Spatulata Sundew

Drosera spatulata – Spoon-Leaved Sundew

A beautiful compact carnivorous plant forming neat rosettes of spoon-shaped leaves covered in sparkling, sticky droplets that attract and capture small insect prey.

Drosera spatulata, commonly known as the Spoon-Leaved Sundew, is an attractive rosette-forming sundew found naturally across parts of Asia, Australia and the Pacific region.

Its compact growth, attractive colouration and fascinating insect-catching leaves make it an excellent choice for both beginners and established carnivorous plant collections.

How It Catches Insects

Each leaf is covered with numerous specialised tentacles tipped with glistening droplets of sticky mucilage.

These droplets resemble morning dew but are actually produced by the plant to capture small insects.

When an insect lands on a leaf it becomes trapped by the sticky tentacles. Surrounding tentacles can gradually move towards the prey, increasing contact while digestive enzymes break it down and allow the plant to absorb valuable nutrients.

In good growing conditions, the entire rosette can appear to sparkle as the leaves become covered in fresh droplets.

Colour & Growth

Drosera spatulata forms a compact, ground-hugging rosette of characteristic spoon-shaped leaves.

Colouration can vary considerably according to growing conditions. Plants grown in lower light may remain predominantly green, while strong light can encourage beautiful shades of pink, orange, bronze and deep red.

The tentacles themselves often develop particularly strong red colouration, contrasting beautifully with the sparkling mucilage.

Mature plants can produce slender flower stems carrying a succession of small, delicate flowers held above the carnivorous leaves.

Growing Information

Light: Bright light to full sun. Strong light encourages compact growth, good mucilage production and richer red colouration.

Water: Keep permanently moist. Stand the pot in approximately 1–2cm of rainwater, distilled water or reverse-osmosis water. Avoid hard tap water.

Compost: Grow in nutrient-poor carnivorous plant compost. Never use ordinary multipurpose compost, enriched compost or conventional fertiliser.

Feeding: Additional feeding is normally unnecessary. The plant readily captures small flies, fungus gnats and other tiny insects when available. Never feed meat or other human food to the plant.

Dormancy: The commonly cultivated subtropical forms of Drosera spatulata generally do not require a cold winter dormancy. Growth may slow during cooler or darker periods.

Temperature: Best grown in mild to warm conditions with plenty of light. It is well suited to a bright greenhouse, conservatory, terrarium or sunny windowsill.

Frost: Protect from frost. It should not be treated as a reliably hardy outdoor sundew in the UK.

Plant Supplied

You will receive an established Drosera spatulata of the type shown.

As these are living plants, size, leaf number, colour and the amount of visible "dew" will naturally vary according to season and growing conditions.

Plants can temporarily lose some of their sticky droplets during postage or after a sudden change in environment. Once settled into suitable light and water conditions, healthy new growth should begin producing fresh mucilage.

Over time, plants may produce additional growing points and seedlings, creating attractive clusters of sparkling rosettes.

Identification Note

These plants are offered as Drosera spatulata, commonly known as the Spoon-Leaved Sundew.

Drosera spatulata is naturally variable, with different geographical forms displaying differences in size, colour and growth habit. No particular locality, form or named cultivar is being claimed unless specifically stated.

Botanical name: Drosera spatulata
Common name: Spoon-Leaved Sundew
Plant type: Carnivorous perennial
Growth habit: Compact rosette
Trap type: Sticky flypaper trap
Colour: Green, pink, bronze to red
Dormancy: No cold dormancy for commonly cultivated subtropical forms
Difficulty: Easy
Water: Rainwater / RO / distilled
Position: Bright light / sun
Frost hardy: No
Suitable for beginners: Yes