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Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Drosera hamiltonii Growing Guide


I recently obtained a large Drosera hamiltonii and a couple pups in a giveaway and, knowing that they grew next to Cephalotus in the wild, decided to look into cultivation guidelines for D. hamiltonii. Thankfully, all my sources, including a 1998 CPN article by Barry Rice, report that it's much easier to grow D. hamiltonii than Cephalotus.

As I reported in my previous post about Cephalotus, that plant requires a complex media mixture and aerated water. It is, in a word, finky (or, at least, more so than most carnivorous plants). D. hamiltonii, in contrast does not care too much about its media mixture, although the standard 1:1 peat:sand mixture has been reported to yield better results than other mixtures, according to Australian growers. Basically, like Cephalotus, the plant prefers to be a bit drier, though it may not dew as well as other Drosera in any conditions.


It can be grown under consistent conditions year round, but will not flower unless given the seasonal variation it is accustomed to in the wild, but, propagation-wise, it is probably easiest to propagate via root cuttings. For those, it is easy enough to take a portion of the thick, black root and lay it on the surface of the media, as one would do with a D. binata root. Shortly, plantlets should sprout from the root.

Here's a handy tip sheet:

Media: D. hamiltonii is not particular about media, but will probably grow best in a medium used for Cephalotus, as the two are known to grow next to one another in the wild.
Moisture: Keep moist. D. hamiltonii, like Cephalotus, does not like to be waterlogged, but also requires constant moisture. Growers have had success raising it slightly above the water table (4" - 6") when growing.
Humidity: Not so important. It flourishes inside and out.
Pot Size: Any size. Although it is often recommended that one use large pots, small 2.5" pots have been used successfully. Honestly, smaller pots will probably lead to more offshoots as the roots stick through pot openings.
Feeding: I usually feed the plant every two weeks with Maxsea Grow 16-16-16 Water Soluble Seaweed Plant Food Fertilizer, but I have seen no noticeable effect from this feeding, unlike with other carnivorous plants.
Temperature: D. hamiltonii is not picky. It will survive anywhere from freezing to above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, though more moderate temperatures are suggested.
Dormancy: In nature, D. hamiltonii is subject to a cool period, after which it will flower. In cultivation, I've found that this is not necessary, unless flowers are wanted.
Propagation: D. hamiltonii can be propagated in two ways: seed and root cuttings.
  • Flowers/Seed: In cultivation, the flowers should be manually stimulated to self-pollinate for best seed set, unlike most sundews. When growing from seed, cold stratification is not necessary.
  • Root Cuttings: The easiest way to propagation D. hamiltonii is through root cuttings. Virtually any exposure to light will result in new plantlets sprouting. 
One additional note, many growers indicate the D. hamiltonii will not produce much, if any "dew" on its leaves. Greater "dewing" has occurred for growers that grow the plant like Cephalotus, rather than those who take the easier, non-Cephalotus growing route.

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