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Drosera pulchella are from the southwest of Australia.
The climate is of the Mediterranean sea with warm, dry
Summers and cool, wet Winters.
Another startling feature of the Pygmy Sundews are their
size. Normally the plants grow to a maximum diameter of
half an inch. The rosettes are about 1.5 cm across and
golden-green in color, more red under bright light.
Although some people are put off by their size, their
beauty lie in numbers. Because of the gemmae, the plants
quickly cover the growing area, forming dense mats. The
leaves, curl around any captured prey like a fist.
Drosera pulchella makes pretty pink flowers. It flowers
early Spring to mid Summer.
It 's an insectivorous plant, it can survive in nitrogen
poor soils because it gets the nutrients it needs from
insects. The upper surfaces of leaves are covered with
hairs that secrete a sweet sticky substance. This
attracts insects, which become smeared with it and unable
to escape. The plant then exudes a digestive fluid that
enables it to absorb most of the insect into its system.
Pygmy Sundews differ from the rest of their species,
because of their ability to form gemmae. These are flat,
round bodies which form in the center of the plant. They
are basically seed, although they don't need to be
pollinated. The germination rate is far higher than that
of seed. Also gemmae grow into mature plants very quickly.
Because of the plants producing lots of gemmae, these
plants are very easy to grow and propagate. When the
plants are forming gemmae, brush the gemmae off with a
soft paintbrush onto a paper towel. Even if you don't
want any new plants it is best to do this, because if you
don't your plants will become over crowded and become and
easy target for pests.
Hardiness zones 8-10, (1°C/35°F, -10°C/15°F) in
Winter. The plants should have hot and dry Summers and
cool and wet Winters. They should be grown in bright
light, but with protection from full midday sun.
Temperatures should be kept between 20°C/68°F, 25°C /
80°F. In cloudy coastal areas, artificial light is a
must.
Pygmy Drosera have usually very long roots and grow best
in pots 15-20cm deep. Drosera pulchella will grow in
smaller pots. The Pygmy that will grow in smaller pots do
well in a mix of three parts peat moss to one part sand.
Keep very wet in Winter. The plants which are suited to
smaller pots can stand in water throughout Summer as
these often continue growing in Summer. Drosera Pulchella
will grow where the water level is much closer to the
soil surface.
There's no need to fertilize, as the plant relies on
insects for food. Water must be distilled or rain water
because they do not tolerate city or hard water.
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