Plant care
Drosera capensis 'Alba'temperature & humidity
Drosera capensis 'Alba'
More about drosera capensis 'alba'
Ideal temperature for drosera capensis 'alba'
Aim for 15-30°C; tolerates brief dips to ~5°C (59-86°F; tolerates brief dips to ~41°F) on the thermostat and you've handled the easy part. The hard part is the half-metre around the plant: window glass that drops to near-freezing on a January night, a radiator pumping out hot dry air, a draught from an opened front door. Move the plant 30 cm and you've usually fixed the problem. Below roughly 15°C the damage starts — soft blackened patches, translucent leaves, sometimes overnight.
Cold tolerance & winter care
Drosera capensis 'Alba' is frost-tender (USDA 9-11 (indoor/greenhouse in colder zones), RHS H2). It cannot survive a frost, so in most of the US and UK it lives indoors year-round or summers outside and comes back in well before the first autumn frost — once nights drop toward 10-12°C is the cue, not the first frost warning. Acclimate it over a week when moving between indoors and out so the leaves do not shock.
Humidity for drosera capensis 'alba'
Drosera capensis 'Alba' sits happiest at around 40-70% relative humidity. Adaptable to ordinary household humidity and does not require a terrarium, provided the roots stay constantly wet. Moderate humidity supports good dew production; very dry air can reduce the sticky droplets somewhat. The usual low-humidity tell is crisp brown leaf tips and edges while the soil moisture is fine — a sign the air, not the watering, is the problem. If you need to raise it, the reliable methods are grouping plants together, standing the pot on a tray of damp pebbles (the pot above the waterline, never in it), or running a small humidifier in winter when indoor heating dries the air most. Misting is the least effective — it raises humidity for minutes, not hours.
Drosera capensis 'Alba' temperature & humidity — frequently asked questions
What temperature is best for drosera capensis 'alba'?
Drosera capensis 'Alba' grows best between 15-30°C; tolerates brief dips to ~5°C (59-86°F; tolerates brief dips to ~41°F). Keep it out of cold draughts, off freezing windowsills in winter, and away from the hot dry air directly above radiators — the extremes matter far more than the average room temperature.
How cold can drosera capensis 'alba' tolerate?
Drosera capensis 'Alba' starts to suffer below roughly 15°C. It is frost-tender and will be damaged or killed by a frost, so bring it indoors once nights fall toward 10-12°C.
What humidity does drosera capensis 'alba' need?
Drosera capensis 'Alba' prefers about 40-70% relative humidity. Adaptable to ordinary household humidity and does not require a terrarium, provided the roots stay constantly wet. Moderate humidity supports good dew production; very dry air can reduce the sticky droplets somewhat.
How do I raise humidity for drosera capensis 'alba'?
Group it with other plants, stand the pot on a tray of damp pebbles (kept above the waterline), or run a small humidifier in winter. Misting only helps for a few minutes, so it is the weakest option for a plant that genuinely needs more humidity.
Can drosera capensis 'alba' live outside?
Drosera capensis 'Alba' is rated for USDA zone 9-11 (indoor/greenhouse in colder zones) and RHS hardiness H2. Outside that range it must come indoors before the first frost — treat any outdoor stint as a summer holiday, not a permanent home.
More drosera capensis 'alba' care
In the UK? Keeping drosera capensis 'alba' warm in a UK home covers the radiator, single-glazing and heating-season humidity angle. Temperature and humidity are one piece. See the full drosera capensis 'alba' care guide, its cold-hardiness guide, and watering schedule — humidity and watering problems are easy to confuse.