Drosera admirabilisDrosera admirabilis is a striking rosetted South African sundew. This subtropical sundew is a vigorous grower and is a great choice for beginners. There are several location forms that look slightly different, but they are all just as easy to grow. I put my first D. admirabilis (Ceres) through a lot of abuse and it always hung on- even when I forgot to water it for a week. Drosera admirabilis can get rather wide at maturity, sometimes exceeding 2 inchess across. Drosera admirabilis forms a skirt of old growth after growing for several years, and can eventually grow very tall. Drosera admirabilis reaches its full potential when fed, and will flower frequently during this time as well. |
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 A mature Drosera admirabilis (Ceres RSA)   The leaves of Drosera admirabilis curl over when they eat a large enough piece of food.  The beautiful light violet flower of Drosera admirabilis is large and lasts for several hours.  D. admirabilis root cuttings after 8 months |
Media: Not picky. I use 1:1 peat: sand (silica). Small amounts of perlite can be added as well. I think LFS or live sphagnum could work as well Be sure to rinse your media before you use it Media moisture: moist. Drosera admirabilis s very tolerant of dry or very moist media when it reaches maturity. Humidity: not much needed. I'd recommend at least 50% for best results. Try 75-85+% in warmer temperatures. Pot height: I recommend 4 inches or taller, though this sundew can do fine in smaller pots. Drosera admirabilis has extremely thick roots that can reach over 8 inches long when established. A tall pot will allow this sundew to reach its full potential. Plant dimensions: Drosera admirabilis forms a skirt of dead growth over time. From pictures I've seen, these plants can grow over 3 inches tall in a time frame of 10 years or so. Temperature: not picky. Has grown well for me in the temp range of 60-85 degrees. Give Drosera admirabilis subtropical conditions. Lighting/Photoperiod: I grow mine under T-8 lights with a 16-hour photoperiod. The leaves will have a red tinet under intense lighting, but generally the tentacles show the most difference in color. Under intense light, they can turn a vibrant maroon color. Trapping speed: moderate. Leaves will curl noticeably around food within a few hours- see the picture to the left. Feeding: Feed once every two weeks for rapid, larger growth and flower production. See feeding page. Feeding encourages flowering. My plant didn't flower until I fed it several times. It greatly increases growth. Food size: medium to large. Dormancy requirements: None required. Drosera admirabilis can be grown year-round if grown indoors during the cold months. I recommend the tray method. However, Drosera admirabilis will come back from the roots if it freezes or dries out. Flowers: Drosera admirabilis produces a thick, long flower stalk that often gets burned in my lights. The flowers are quite large, are beautiful, and last much longer than typical sundew flowers. D. admirabilis self-pollinates very easily and sometimes up to a thousand seeds per stalk. Propagation Techniques(click here to learn more about propagating sundews)Seed: easy. no cold stratification required. It can take Drosera admirabilis over 1 year to grow to flowering maturity from seed. Leaf-cuttings: somewhat more challenging compared to other south American sundews. Younger leaves will not work as well. The water-floating method works best. Place directly under lights for the hightest strike rate. Flower stalk cuttings should also work well, but I am yet to try this with mine. Root cuttings: very easy. Drosera admirabilis has very thick roots that are excellent for root cuttings. See the picture to the left. Divisions: easy. Drosera admirabilis tends to form clumps over time. D. admirabilis has no trouble dealing with repotting and root disturbance, so divisions can be taken easily. Left- a close-up of Drosera admirabilis (Ceres R.S.A.). Notice the snap tentacles at the very top of the leaf (bottom of picture). |
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