🌿 Drosera tomentosa var. glabra Care Sheet
Brazilian Highland Rosette – Elegant & Resilient
 
🏷 Overview
Drosera tomentosa var. glabra is a beautiful subtropical rosette sundew native to the mountain grasslands of Brazil. This variety lacks the hairy (tomentose) flower stalks of typical D. tomentosa, giving it a cleaner, “glabrous” look. It grows a neat rosette of spoon-shaped leaves that blush red in strong light. It’s a relatively easy and adaptable sundew, ideal for growers wanting something exotic but not too fussy.
 
☀️ Light Requirements
Grows best in bright indirect to direct light.
Outdoors: part sun or dappled light.
Indoors: under strong LED grow lights (12–14 hrs/day).
Bright light brings out deep red coloration and compact form.
 
🌡 Temperature
Ideal range: 15°C – 28°C
Naturally adapted to mild, highland climates.
Handles short dips near 5°C and occasional highs around 30°C.
No dormancy required – grows year-round.
 
💧 Watering
Keep soil consistently moist to wet.
Use rainwater, RO, or distilled water only.
Tray method works well: 1–2 cm water level; avoid letting the pot dry out.
 
🌱 Substrate
Prefers a loose, acidic mix:
2 parts peat moss : 1 part perlite
Optional: add silica sand or chopped sphagnum.
No fertiliser or enriched soil.
 
🌬 Humidity & Airflow
Enjoys moderate to high humidity (50–80%), but tolerates open-air growing well.
Excellent in terrariums with airflow, greenhouses, or bright windowsills.
Good airflow helps keep leaves clean and mold-free.
 
🌼 Feeding
Naturally attracts and digests tiny flying insects—perfect for homes with gnats or fruit flies.
Insect feeding boosts growth, but it's optional.
Indoors: can be hand-fed crushed insects or rehydrated bloodworms occasionally.
 
🌿 Propagation
Easily propagated by leaf or root cuttings.
Also produces seed readily if cross-pollinated (flowers may self-fertilise).
Seeds need light and warmth to germinate.
 
📏 Size & Growth Habit
Forms compact rosettes 5–8 cm wide.
Leaves are spoon-shaped, often reddish-orange in good light.
Sends up tall, glabrous (smooth) flower stalks with small pinkish flowers.
 
💡 Terrarium Suitability
Excellent for closed or open terrariums, provided there’s airflow and strong light.
Its manageable size and colorful rosette make it a great companion for orchids, mosses, and miniature bromeliads.
 
🧪 Fun Fact
In the wild, Drosera tomentosa var. glabra grows in nutrient-poor quartzite sands on mountaintops—yet it thrives in cultivation with just light, water, and patience.