Drosera capensis ‘Narrow Leaf’

This is your typical “common” capensis. Drosera capensis ‘Narrow Leaf’ is an incredibly hearty sundew that I have found hard to kill even through repeated neglect. That said, it’s a beautiful and fascinating plant that comes from South Africa. While referred to as ‘Narrow Leaf,’ this plant has typically-widthed leaves when compared to most capensis, with the exception of our wide-leafed friend.

Unique biology of Drosera capensis ‘Narrow Leaf’

Drosera capensis leaf wrapped around insect
drosera capensis leaf

Trap characteristics

As the the name suggests, the carnivorous leaves and petioles of a Drosera capensis ‘Narrow Leaf’ are almost identical to the wide leafed variety, but narrower at about 1/4 inch (6 mm) in diameter. Leaves are green with red gland “hairs.”
Leaves frequently fold over or curl around prey to increase contact with an unfortunate insect and extract maximum nutritional value from it.
Plants are about 6 to 8 inches (152 to 203 mm) in diameter, and have a voracious appetite for flying insects like gnats and crane flies.
capensis double flower
capensis double flowering stalk

Other notable characteristics

Flowers of this capensis variety are a beautiful shade of pink, and produce lots and lots and lots of seed atop the end of a 1 to 2 foot (0.3-0.6 m) stalk. If the normal seed amount weren’t enough, the plants commonly send up double-headed flowering stalks with two sets of flower buds that bloom in tandem and double the amount of seed produced. Plants will flower themselves to exhaustion, so if you’d prefer larger carnivorous leaves, consider cutting off the stalks as they form.
Plants can also be easily propagated via leaf and roots cuttings. The heartiness and propensity to rapidly reproduce make this an ideal beginner’s carnivorous plant!

Other Sundew species, subspecies, varieties & hybrids