Depending on the climate in which you live, the Drosera Anglica might be an excellent choice if
you’re looking for a carnivorous plant that will thrive outdoors. Also known as the Great Sundew
or the English Sundew, the Drosera Anglica is native to the UK. It prefers high-altitude climates
and can also be found indigenously in northern parts of the US, Canada, and Japan. If you live
in a moderate climate with four seasons, you can likely grow your English Sundew outdoors.
English Sundew do so well outdoors because they require a period of dormancy. They can be
planted directly into the ground in certain climates but will otherwise do well in a pot. Like many
sundew plants, they do best in peaty soil and are known to grow around sphagnum peat moss
in the wild. Therefore, ensuring at least 50% of your potting soil is peat moss will give your
Drosera Anglica its best chance to thrive.
The Great Sundew also prefers a very wet environment. Therefore, you will want to keep the
soil of your plant very moist. In the wild, you will find it in bogs, fens, and other typical wet soils.
Thus, if your garden has naturally occurring water or a water feature, you may find the English
Sundew grows well planted in the ground very near to it. Otherwise, it is wise to pot the plant
even if you intend to keep it out of doors to ensure optimal moisture.
During the warmer months, your Drosera Anglica will provide you with lovely little white blooms.
It will need to see consistent temperatures of 64-76 degrees Fahrenheit before it will flower. The
Great Sundew can survive mild frost in winter and will go dormant, curling in on itself and
creating buds known as hibernacula. If you live somewhere with cold winters (your temperatures
are consistently below freezing), it’s best to move your English sundew indoors during the colder
months of the year. You can gradually transition the plant indoors in the Fall and back out again
in the Spring.
The English Sundew does not require fertilization. Instead, it obtains nutrients from small insects
– gnats, fruit flies, mosquitos, and occasionally house flies. Like other members of its species,
the Great Sundew is sometimes referred to as a flypaper plant. Tiny hairs surround its leaves
and act as tentacles that curl around its prey. The prey is attracted to the minute, and
sweet-smelling dew drops that form on the end of the plant’s tentacles. Drosera Anglica should
get all its food needs met without your assistance if it’s living outdoors. However, if you choose
to grow your sundew as a houseplant, you will want to monitor your plant to ensure that it is
getting adequate nutrients. If you see that it is regularly trapping live insects, you can let it feed
itself. If you notice, however, that it is not catching prey, you’ll want to purchase freeze-dried
larvae and feed them to the plant.
The Great Sundew is considered a full-sun plant, but pay special attention if you grow your plant
outdoors; full sun can occasionally scorch the plant’s leaves. If you notice the plant starting to
look burnt or brown, rather than bright orange and red, move the plant to a partially shaded
location. You should gradually introduce the plant to outdoor sunlight if it lives inside for part of
the year to avoid shocking the plant.