Lance-leaved Sundew (Adelaide's sundew) care

Light

Lance-leaved Sundew wants the spot a few feet back from a sunny window — bright enough to read a paperback at noon, but the sun never falls directly on the leaves. Prefers bright but indirect light — 2,000–5,000 lux is ideal; direct midday sun scorches the leaves. A north- or east-facing windowsill, or a grow light at 30 cm distance for 12–14 hours daily, works well. A faint hand shadow at midday is the right amount; a sharp dark shadow means it's getting direct sun and probably too much.

Watering

Water lance-leaved sundew keep tray topped up year-round. The actual day count varies with pot size, light, and season — the finger test (or lifting the pot to feel its weight) is more reliable than a fixed calendar. Empty any drainage saucer afterwards so the pot isn't sitting in water. Use the tray method with 1–2 cm of rain water, distilled water, or reverse-osmosis water at all times. Tap water contains minerals that accumulate and damage roots; never use it.

Soil and pot

Lance-leaved Sundew grows best in carnivore mix — peat or coir with perlite or pure sphagnum. A 1:1 blend of peat and perlite, or live/dried long-fibre sphagnum moss, is ideal. The mix must be nutrient-free; standard potting compost or added fertiliser will kill the plant. 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

Lance-leaved Sundew sits happiest at around 60–90% humidity and 15–30 °C (59–86 °F). High humidity suits this rainforest species; below 50% the leaf margins crisp and dew production drops. A humidity tray or a partially enclosed terrarium maintains suitable levels without sealing the plant completely. If you keep the room above 15–30 °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 lance-leaved sundew sparingly. Feed 2–4 times per year by placing a small live or freeze-dried insect on an active leaf; never apply soil fertiliser. 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 lance-leaved sundew in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

• Mineral burn from tap water — Chlorine, fluoride, and dissolved salts in tap water accumulate in the nutrient-poor soil and cause leaf-tip browning and root die-back. Always use rain, distilled, or RO water.
• Loss of dew / trap failure — When glands stop producing sticky mucilage the plant is usually stressed by low humidity, excess light, or root damage. Raise humidity, move to a shadier spot, and check for root rot caused by stagnant (not fresh) water in the tray.

Propagation

Easily propagated by leaf pullings (remove a healthy leaf at the base and lay it flat on moist sphagnum) or root cuttings; plantlets emerge within 4–8 weeks. Also spreads naturally by root division. 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

Lance-leaved Sundew is pet-safe. Drosera adelae is not listed as toxic to cats or dogs by the ASPCA. The sticky mucilage may cause minor mouth irritation if chewed, but no toxic principles are documented; the plant is considered non-toxic to pets. 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.

Lance-leaved Sundew deep-dive guides

Every aspect of lance-leaved sundew care, each with its own calibrated guide:

• Common lance-leaved sundew problems & fixes
• Lance-leaved Sundew watering schedule
• Lance-leaved Sundew light requirements
• Best soil mix for lance-leaved sundew
• Lance-leaved Sundew fertilizing guide
• When to repot lance-leaved sundew
• How to propagate lance-leaved sundew
• How to prune lance-leaved sundew
• What's eating my lance-leaved sundew?
• Lance-leaved Sundew growth rate & size
• Lance-leaved Sundew cold hardiness
• Lance-leaved Sundew temperature & humidity
• Is lance-leaved sundew toxic to cats & dogs?
• Is lance-leaved sundew toxic to cats?
• Is lance-leaved sundew toxic to dogs?
• All 46 Drosera varieties

Featured in these plant shortlists

Lance-leaved Sundew qualifies for 12 curated Growli shortlists — each one filtered objectively from our structured plant-care library, so the selection is consistent and checkable:

• Best pet-safe houseplants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — every one verified against the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list.
• Best low-light houseplants — Houseplants that need no direct sun and cope with a north-facing room or a spot well back from a window.
• Best plants for a north-facing window — Houseplants for a north-facing window: bright, even, indirect light and no scorching direct sun. Each pick verified against its documented light needs.
• Best pet-safe low-light plants — Non-toxic to cats and dogs AND happy with no direct sun — the two hardest constraints to satisfy at once.
• Best humidity-loving houseplants — Houseplants that thrive in a bathroom, kitchen, or by a humidifier — selected by documented humidity preference.
• Best bathroom plants — Humidity-loving houseplants that also cope with lower light — suited to the steamy, often-dim conditions of a typical bathroom.
• Best pet-safe bathroom plants — Non-toxic to cats and dogs and happy in the humid, lower-light conditions of a bathroom — safe greenery for the smallest room.
• Best small & tabletop houseplants — Compact houseplants that stay under about 40 cm — desk, shelf and windowsill plants that never outgrow a small space.
• Best pet-safe bedroom plants — Non-toxic to cats and dogs and happy in lower light — calming greenery for a bedroom where a pet often sleeps too.
• Best cat-safe plants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats (and dogs) — safe greenery for a home with a curious cat.
• Best dog-safe plants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to dogs (and cats) — safe greenery for a home with a curious dog.
• Best small pet-safe plants — Compact, tabletop houseplants that are also ASPCA non-toxic to cats and dogs — safe greenery for a desk or shelf.
• Browse all 29 plant shortlists — pet-safe, low-light, drought-tolerant and more

Related guides

Lance-leaved Sundew is also commonly called Lance-leaved sundew or Adelaide's sundew.

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• All 10153 plant care guides in the Growli library