Dewy Pine (Drosophyllum) Cultivation
General Info:
Dewy Pines (Drosophyllum lusitanicum) are some of the best flycatchers of all the carnivorous plants while also smelling like honey! They have thin, green leaves with red, mushroom-shaped dew glands that produce a viscous, sticky substance like sundews. However, Dewy Pines are only distantly related to sundews, flytraps, and Asian pitcher plants (Nepenthes).
If left outdoors in bright sun, they can catch incredible quantities of insects — sometimes every leaf of the plant is covered in prey. They can rapidly grow to over 1’ in diameter in under a year, maxing out at around 2’ in diameter.
Looking almost like a glistening tuft of pine needles, Dewy Pines glisten in the sun and emit a pure, sweet, syrupy (and very appetizing) aroma. They require high amounts of sun or intense LED grow lights. Unlike many tropical or bog carnivorous plants, these grow in gravely, dry coastal hills in Portugal, Spain, and Morocco that get regular morning fog.
Dewy Pines can be tricky at first, but manageable once their basic needs are met. It can grow from seed to maturity in roughly a year, and then will produce large, brilliant yellow flowers. These will produce hard black seeds.
Soil and Watering:
These are different than other carnivorous plants in their water needs. They need well-draining, slightly moist soil to thrive. Overly wet soil will cause root rot in mature plants. They prefer wetter soil when at the seedling stage, but once they are a few inches tall, gradually reduce wetness. In early spring or in cooler climates, they may need light watering every few days. In summer or hot climates, they may need top watering every other day (or when extremely hot, every day). The exact watering will depend on the temperature, humidity, sun, soil mix, and pot.
The best soil mix to allow some leniency in watering will be fast draining, but able to retain some moisture for days. Mixes like 50% perlite, 25% peat, 25% coarse sand can work. The mix should never become compacted and soggy as this will cause root rot and eventual death. I have used a range of soil mixes with success. Be sure to soak out any excess salts in your media before use.
I typically water every 2-3 days (depending on weather) when the top inch of soil becomes dry. The plant is quite tolerant of dry conditions once established and may start to lose older leaves with water stress, eventually wilting from dehydration. Even at this stage, it can recover with a nice watering but don’t overwater to compensate. Signs of overwatering can be abnormal leaf development which develops from root stress. The roots can easily grow well over a foot deep so factor that into your pot choice.
How to Plant Upon Arrival:
The Dewy Pine will arrive in a peat pot, wrapped to protect the small seedling. I use larger, deeper peat pots to allow healthier root development before shipping. Carefully and gently unwrap the pot from the packaging. The peat pot will need to be potted into the plant’s final pot since root disturbance is extremely stressful and potentially fatal. Use as large a pot as you can to allow the most room for root growth and longevity, typically a #1 gallon nursery pot is the smallest size that can work for at least a year. Ideally, use an 8”-12” pot that is at least as deep for the roots.
Mix up appropriate soil and fill the new pot, then dig a hole in the center for the peat pot. It is helpful to poke some holes into the peat pot to allow the roots to escape (but not necessary since they can just burst through eventually). Place the peat pot in the hole and fill the soil in around the peat pot all the way to the edge (or even over the edge of the peat pot). The roots will soon grow through the peat pot into the larger pot. Never attempt to repot after this stage.
Cultivation:
Full sun of at least 40W per sq ft of high quality LED grow lights. Very bright light is essential for survival.
Lightly Top water the surface of the pot to maintain slightly moist conditions. Dewy pines want well draining, airy, slightly moist soils (never sitting in trays of water). Seedlings prefer consistently wet, but well draining soil until they are a few inches tall and in their final pots when they should be kept a bit drier.
Temperatures between 40F-90F are best, though it can survive down to 30F and over 100F for short periods.
A granular, well-draining mix like 50% perlite: 25% Peat: 25% coarse sand, or 40% Calcine Clay Chips: 40% perlite: 20% peat. Any well draining mix that can retain a bit of moisture will be fine.
Notes:
Many growers over-water their Dewy Pines out of fear that they are too dry. Err on the side of dryness if you are used to growing other carnivorous plants. Think more like succulents (though don’t let them completely dry out through the whole pot).
These grow best outdoors in several hours of sun where they will catch tons of bugs and nourish themselves. It is possible to grow them under lights or in an extremely sunny window, but they will need to be fed something like fish food to supplement the diet.
The only way to propagate Dewy Pines is by seed. Plants can survive for a few years but are usually limited by pot size. Flowers will easily self-pollinate and fresh seed germinates easily. Seeds can remain viable for many years, but germination rates will decrease.