Question
Hi,
I am from San Diego Ca. I Just had a few questions regarding my Pygmy Sundews. First is I noticed on the flower stalks of my D. Nitdula x Ericksoniae there was mucilage and I was just wondering the purpose for this and if the flower stalks are carnivorous also? Next is with this same species of Pygmy I noticed that they tend to clump similar to a D. Spatulata and I was wondering if this is normal or if maybe something else is happening? Last is I grow D. Roseana indoors and outdoors and was wondering if the outdoor grown ones will go dormant from cold or in the summer when it is dry, and can I prevent this by just keeping them on the tray method ( always wet). So far we have had some temps in the low 50s upper 40s at night and so far they haven't gone dormant but have produced tons of gemmae. Thanks for your time.

Good Growing,
Justin

Answer
Hi Justin,

I don't think their are any digestive glands on the flower stalks.  It is probably just defensive.  Many butterworts have this also.

The clumping of both of these plants isn't necessarily the plants normal appearance in nature.  It can be from tissue culture in the case of D. spatulata, and pygmy from lots of gemmae falling in the same spot.

I'm not sure if pygmy sundews experience a true dormancy the way temperate sundews will.  We keep ours wet all winter, and the temperatures in the greenhouse are similar to what you are having outside.  They tend to stay the same in appearance all winter.  I have noticed, however, that many of them don't live much more than about two years.

Good Growing!

Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com