Drosera collina
Overview
Drosera collina is a carnivorous perennial sundew that grows from an underground tuber and forms a flat rosette of leaves pressed against the soil, about 1.2-2.4 inches (3-6 cm) across. Each leaf blade is rounded to wedge-shaped and covered with stalked glands tipped with sticky droplets that trap and digest small insects, supplementing the nutrients available in poor soils. The leaves are green to red, becoming redder in strong light. White flowers about 0.4-0.6 inch (10-15 mm) across are held on a short stem above the rosette, opening in late winter and spring. The plant is dormant through the hot, dry summer, surviving as the tuber below ground, and regrows after autumn rains. Above-ground growth lasts only a few months each year. Fruit is a small dry capsule with many seeds. Because it depends on a seasonal wet-and-dry cycle and a dormant tuber, it is intolerant of year-round watering and of rich soils, both of which cause the tuber to rot.
Native Range
Native to southwestern Western Australia, where it grows in seasonally moist sandy and lateritic soils in heath and open woodland. It occurs in a winter-rainfall, dry-summer climate and relies on summer dormancy to survive the dry season.Suggested Uses
Grown by carnivorous-plant collectors in pots of sand and peat that follow a wet-winter, dry-summer cycle. Suited to sunny windowsills, terrariums, and protected outdoor collections in mild climates. Not suited to general garden beds or to standing water during its summer dormancy.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height1" - 4"
Width/Spread1" - 3"
Reaches mature size in approximately 3 years
Bloom Information
Flowers in late winter and spring (August to October in the Southern Hemisphere), during the moist growing season. Individual flowers open for a single day, with the rosette producing flowers in succession over 3-5 weeks. Flowering depends on adequate winter rainfall.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
Green to redGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 5-9 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Drosera collina grows in full sun to light shade in nutrient-poor sandy or peaty soils kept moist during the cool growing season. Watering uses rainwater or low-mineral water, as tap-water salts damage the plant. Water is reduced as the rosette dies down in late spring, and the dormant tuber is kept dry through summer. Fertiliser is not used, as the plant obtains nutrients from trapped insects. Tubers rot in soils that stay wet or rich during dormancy. Plants are grown from seed, tuber offsets, or leaf cuttings.Pruning
No pruning is required. Spent flower stems and dead leaves are removed once dry. The rosette is left to die back naturally as summer dormancy begins, which feeds the tuber for the next season.Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 1 gallons