Question
Hi, I was wondering how to grow cold hardy carnivorous plants from seed. Several sundews and sarracenia have flowered earlier this year and are producing seeds. I bought several seed trays and stocked up on peat moss and perlite, but I was wondering if there is anything else I need to do beside letting have a cold period.

Answer
For Sarracenia seed, you'll need to ensure that they have a cool, damp stratification period of 4 weeks.  The easiest way to achieve that is to put the seeds on a damp paper towel and put them in a plastic baggie and then in the fridge for 4 weeks.

As for sundews, it really depends on the species, as some species do not require a stratification period, while some others do.  If it is a temperate species, such as D. rotundifolia or D. anglica, then they will need a stratification period just like the Sarracenia seed.  But if it is a tropical or sub-tropical species like Drosera capensis, the seed can just be sown as soon as it sets.