---
title: Cape sundew in a terrarium | Glass Jar Garden
description: Cape sundew (Drosera capensis): Long leaves beaded with sticky dew. Easy, if it gets bright light and pure water. Needs light 10,000 to 30,000 lux, humidity...
url: https://glassjar.garden/guide/plants/drosera-capensis/
---

Plants

# Cape sundew
Drosera capensis

Beginner · Fine in a closed jar

Long leaves beaded with sticky dew. Easy, if it gets bright light and pure water.

## What the simulation uses

- Light: 10,000 to 30,000 lux (The brightness it grows well in.)

- Humidity: 50 to 90 % RH (Air moisture it is happy in; below the lower end it dries out.)

- Temperature: 10 to 35 °C (Comfortable range; outside it growth slows.)

- Dies at: below -2 or above 40 °C (Days beyond these temperatures kill it.)

- Soil pH: 4 to 5.5 pH (Soil acidity it prefers.)

- Grows up: 1.25 cm/month (How fast it gains height in good conditions.)

- Spreads: 1.25 cm/month (How fast its edge creeps outwards.)

- Copes with wet: excellent (How well it stands soggy soil; poor means rot comes quickly.)

- Copes with still air: good (Sealed jars have still air; poor means grey mould finds it.)

- Copes with shade: fair (How well it holds on in dim light.)

- Copes with drying: poor (How well it survives the jar drying out.)

- Water use: 0.07 ml/cm²/day (Water drawn up from its roots per cm² of leaves in room air; a sealed jar cuts this to a fraction and returns it down the glass.)

- Leaf drop: 3 %/month (Share of its leaves it sheds each month as litter for the cleanup crew.)

- Soft leaves: yes (Soft new growth that hungry isopods will nibble.)

- Full size: 15 cm tall, 20 cm wide (Its size when grown, before the lid stops it.)

## Care

- Day length: 12 to 16 h

- Substrate: Wet

## What kills it

- fertiliser in soil
- tap water minerals
- letting the medium dry
- deep shade

## Description
Few carnivores are easier, and this subtropical sundew is among the best for a terrarium. Strong light brings out the sticky dew and red tints. Water only with rain or distilled water, and plant it in a poor peat and sand mix.

Also called sundew.

Estimated, where sources were thin: light_lux; ph; temp_lethal_c; humidity_rh_pct.

## Sources

- [carnivorousplants.org/grow/guides/SubtropicalDrosera](https://www.carnivorousplants.org/grow/guides/SubtropicalDrosera)
- [en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drosera_capensis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drosera_capensis)
- [plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/drosera](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/drosera/)

[Grow it in a jar](https://glassjar.garden/?guide=plants/drosera-capensis)

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