Drosophyllum Lusitanicum, Dewy Pine
Type: Carnivorous | Size: Medium, Up to 1.5m in height
Grow your own Dewy Pine carnivorous plants inside a terrarium with these simple tips for care.
How to grow and care for Dewy pine (Drosophyllum lusitanicum)
Drosophyllum grows on dry, sunny slopes in Portugal, Spain and Morocco, quite unlike the bogs most carnivores call home. Its narrow leaves are covered in sticky, dew-tipped glands that trap insects and give off a faint honey scent. It sends down a long taproot and dislikes root disturbance intensely.
Best terrarium setup for Dewy pine (Drosophyllum lusitanicum)
This species does not want a humid, enclosed terrarium; it wants an open, bright, airy spot with excellent drainage. Because the taproot hates disturbance, the reliable method is to sow the seed directly into its final deep pot of gritty, sandy mix and never repot it. Treat it more like a sunny Mediterranean herb than a bog plant.
Light
Full, direct sun. It genuinely needs strong light and open air to thrive, and it will not tolerate the dim, still conditions inside a closed terrarium.
Temperature and dormancy
No cold dormancy, but it likes a Mediterranean rhythm of warm, bright summers and cooler, frost-free winters, roughly 5 to 30 degrees C across the year. Airflow and sun matter far more than temperature control.
Watering
Unlike bog carnivores, it must never sit in a tray of water. Water it from the top or with only a very shallow tray occasionally, using rainwater, distilled or reverse-osmosis water, and let the surface dry between waterings. Constant wet feet rot it quickly.
Humidity
Low to moderate humidity with strong airflow, the opposite of most plants in this guide. A stuffy, closed jar is actively harmful to a dewy pine.
Feeding
It catches its own flying insects on those sticky, fragrant leaves and rarely needs help. The honey scent does the luring for you.
Common mistakes to avoid
The fatal mistakes are treating it like a bog plant, sealing it in a humid terrarium, standing it permanently in water, and repotting it and breaking the taproot. Sow in place, give it sun and air, water sparingly with pure water, and leave the roots alone.
Is Dewy pine (Drosophyllum lusitanicum) right for your terrarium?
The dewy pine is the odd one out: a carnivore that hates a humid terrarium. It comes from dry Mediterranean hillsides, wants full sun and airy, fast-draining soil, and resents being moved. If you want a sealed jar plant, this is not it, but grown its own way it is stunning and smells of honey.
Where to buy Drosophyllum Lusitanicum:
Drosophyllum Lusitanicum on Amazon >
Drosophyllum Lusitanicum on Ebay AU >
Drosophyllum Lusitanicum on Amazon US >
Drosophyllum Lusitanicum on Amazon AU >Â
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