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Plant care

Fly Bush (fly catcher bush) care

Roridula gorgonias

Also called fly bush, fly catcher bush.

RHS H2USDA 9-10Pet-safeIndoor Up to 1 m (3 ft) tall in native habitat

Watering rhythm

2-4days

Keep substrate consistently moist but not waterlogged; water every 2–4 days depending on conditions

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Light

Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours)

Soil

Lean, mineral-free mix: 2:1 peat or coco-coir to sharp perlite or coarse river sand

Humidity

60–90%

Temp

10–25°C

Pet safety

Pet-safe

Mature size

Up to 1 m (3 ft) tall in native habitat

Care at a glance

Light

Aim for at least 4-6 hours of direct sun on the leaves. Requires at least 6 hours of direct sun daily. A south- or west-facing windowsill or supplemental grow lights (5,000–6,500 K, 14 h photoperiod) are necessary indoors. Insufficient light causes weak, non-sticky growth. If your only bright window faces south, that's perfect for fly bush — same window any aroid would fry on.

Watering

Watering fly bush: keep substrate consistently moist but not waterlogged; water every 2–4 days depending on conditions. The number that matters isn't the day of the week — it's how dry the top 2-3 cm of the pot feels. A finger in the soil tells you more than a watering app. After every watering, tip the saucer. Use only rainwater, distilled, or reverse-osmosis water — tap water minerals kill Roridula quickly. Standing-tray method is acceptable but avoid deep-flooding; the roots prefer moisture without anaerobic saturation.

Soil and pot

Fly Bush grows best in lean, mineral-free mix: 2:1 peat or coco-coir to sharp perlite or coarse river sand. Must be nutrient-poor and acidic (pH 4.5–5.5). Never add fertiliser to the substrate. Pure sphagnum moss alone tends to retain too much moisture and can rot the woody stems; a peat-perlite mix is more reliable. A pot with a working drainage hole is non-negotiable for this species — even free-draining mix will turn soggy in a closed planter. If you love the look of a decorative pot without a hole, use it as a cachepot around an inner nursery pot you can lift out to water.

Humidity and temperature

Fly Bush sits happiest at around 60–90% humidity and 10–25°C (50–77°F). Native to the Western Cape fynbos where humidity is seasonally high. Keep above 60% indoors. A humidity tray or small enclosed terrarium (with ventilation) helps, though the shrubby growth habit makes enclosed terrariums impractical for mature plants. If you keep the room above 10–25°C year-round and avoid placing the plant near a cold draught, a hot radiator, or an air-conditioning vent, you have already handled the two biggest indoor stressors.

Fertilising

Feed fly bush sparingly. Do not fertilise the soil. Allow insects (fruit flies, fungus gnats) to land on the leaves to supply nutrients via the symbiotic Pameridea bug relationship. Foliar feeding with dilute (1/8 strength) orchid fertiliser sprayed directly on leaves is occasionally used by specialists. Skip fertiliser entirely on a stressed, recently-repotted, or actively wilting plant — fertiliser salts make damage worse, not better. Wait for a round of healthy new growth before resuming a feeding rhythm.

Common problems

Below are the issues we see most often on fly bush in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

  • Resin loss / non-sticky leaves — Usually caused by low humidity, insufficient light, or tap-water mineral build-up. Switch to pure rainwater or RO water, increase light, and raise humidity above 60%.
  • Root rot — Overwatering combined with poor drainage or stagnant tray water causes root rot on the woody rootstock. Ensure the mix drains freely and refresh the tray water regularly rather than leaving it stagnant.
  • Failure to thrive indoors — Roridula is notoriously difficult outside its fynbos habitat. The most common failure is mineral build-up from tap water. Use only pure water and accept that plants may grow slowly; this is a specialist species.

Propagation

Seed is the primary method — sow fresh seed on moist peat-perlite surface under bright light at 15–20°C; germination takes 3–6 weeks. Semi-ripe stem cuttings taken in spring can root in humid conditions, though success rates are low. Division of established plants is rarely practical. Propagation is the cheapest, most satisfying way to expand a collection — and it doubles as insurance against losing a mature plant to an accident. Take a backup cutting once the parent is established and healthy.

Toxicity to pets

Fly Bush is pet-safe. Roridula gorgonias is not listed by ASPCA. The genus has no documented toxic principle to pets or humans; the sticky resin is mechanical, not chemical. Generally regarded as non-toxic, though ingestion of large amounts of any non-food plant may cause mild GI upset. If you keep cats, dogs, or curious children in the house, weigh placement carefully — a high shelf or a hanging planter is enough for casual safety. For severe ingestion incidents, call your local vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (in the US, 888-426-4435).

Pet-safety status is sourced from the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, which catalogues the most-asked-about plants for cats, dogs, and horses.

Fly Bush care — frequently asked questions

What is the common name for Roridula gorgonias?

Roridula gorgonias is most commonly called Fly Bush, but it is also known as fly bush, fly catcher bush. The names refer to the same species, so care instructions for Fly Bush apply identically to anything sold as fly catcher bush.

How much light does fly bush need?

Fly Bush grows best in direct sun (at least 4-6 hours). Requires at least 6 hours of direct sun daily. A south- or west-facing windowsill or supplemental grow lights (5,000–6,500 K, 14 h photoperiod) are necessary indoors. Insufficient light causes weak, non-sticky growth.

How often should I water fly bush?

Water fly bush keep substrate consistently moist but not waterlogged; water every 2–4 days depending on conditions. Use only rainwater, distilled, or reverse-osmosis water — tap water minerals kill Roridula quickly. Standing-tray method is acceptable but avoid deep-flooding; the roots prefer moisture without anaerobic saturation. The finger-test (or lifting the pot to feel its weight) beats a fixed weekly calendar because pot size, light, and season all change how fast the soil dries.

Is fly bush toxic to cats and dogs?

Fly Bush is pet-safe. Roridula gorgonias is not listed by ASPCA. The genus has no documented toxic principle to pets or humans; the sticky resin is mechanical, not chemical. Generally regarded as non-toxic, though ingestion of large amounts of any non-food plant may cause mild GI upset.

What USDA hardiness zone does fly bush grow in?

Fly Bush is rated for USDA zone 9-10 and RHS hardiness H2. Outside that range, grow it as a container plant that overwinters indoors before the first hard frost.

Fly Bush deep-dive guides

Every aspect of fly bush care, each with its own calibrated guide:

Featured in these plant shortlists

Fly Bush qualifies for 9 curated Growli shortlists — each one filtered objectively from our structured plant-care library, so the selection is consistent and checkable:

Related guides

Fly Bush is also commonly called fly bush or fly catcher bush.