Dewy Pine (Drosophyllum) Cultivation Information

        Cultivating Drosophyllum Lusitanicum can be a rollercoaster. Germination can be difficult, especially if you aren't patient. The seedling and adult phases are rather easy, as long as you never repot them. This is incredibly similar to the other heat loving carnivores, which tend to be much more sensitive than their tropical or temperate relatives. For all stages, I've used Peat and Perlite in a 1 to 1 ratio for medium.

        The germination phase can be difficult. Wildfires promote the growth of Drosophyllum, but this is hard to replicate in cultivation. Instead, scarification is the preferred method. Using a fine grain sand paper, you can grind the seed coat to allow water to penetrate the seed. GA3 can be used to soak the seeds for 24 hours, but I've not used this method personally. After scarifying the seeds, soak in water for 48-72 hours. Sow directly on the desired pot for germination. Keep humidity above 70%, temperatures between 75-80F, with the pot in strong light, and do not allow the medium to dry. Bagging the pot is a great option to maintain this conditions, but lack of airflow can cause fungal issues. Once germination is achieved, immediately repot into the desired long term pot by carefully spooning out the new sprout and it's medium. Alternatively you can use small peat pots that can be placed into the eventual desired pot for the adult specimen. Keep moist and lightly feed until the plants are around an inch tall. Increase airflow and reduce humidity week by week until the seedling adapts to your conditions. Reduce watering and after a few inches of growth. Allow the medium to slightly dry between watering.

        After the plant is around 5-6 inches tall, the plant starts entering the more adult phase of growth. Flowering may or may not happen after this point, usually triggered by the seasons. Temperatures between 75F-85F are optimal for peak growth, but the plants can handle periods of cold temperatures. This makes Drosophyllum well suited to greenhouse growing. Due to their larger size when mature, Dewy Pines can be a challenge to keep indoors long term. Watering should happen when the soil is slightly dry, to avoid the plants from suffering from root rot. These are not bog plants and they do not like being treated as such.

 

Propagation

        Drosophyllum Lusitanicum can be easily propagated via pollination. The anthers and stigma inside the flowers can be easily accessed. A paintbrush, toothpick, or other small tool can be used to transfer pollen from the yellow anthers to the white stamen. Seeds will form over a few months and will be ripe when the pod turns brown and starts to dry and crack. The seeds will be a dark black color and can be store for many years, but best germination occurs within the first 5 years.

        There are no known asexual reproduction methods. I suspect Dewy Pines can be propagated similar to Byblis Gigantea. The technique would be using stem cuttings and IBA rooting hormone. Similar to Byblis, Dewy Pines are known for dislike root disturbances. This is why I suspect so few are opt to try cloning these plants.