Drosera filiformis, 30 seeds

Drosera filiformis, commonly known as the thread-leaved sundew, is a rather large sundew. It is unusual within its genus in that the long, erect, filiform (thread-like) leaves of this plant unroll in spirals, similar to what is seen in ferns.

Drosera filiformis occurs naturally in both Canada and the United States. Its natural range extends down the eastern seaboard of North America from south western Nova Scotia in the North, down through New England to the Florida panhandle in the south. Its disjunct distribution on the Atlantic Coast reflects the prehistoric land connection between Nova Scotia and Cape Cod, Massachusetts, which formed an ancient extension of the Atlantic Plain region that likely persisted well into the current interglacial period as an island chain.

Drosera filiformis is frequently cultivated, with a few registered cultivars, a few location plants and even a few natural and man-made hybrids in circulation. All of these taxons are grown with similar conditions as most other Drosera species. Most of Drosera filiformis taxons form a hibernaculum, even though the ones originating from Florida do not require a winter dormancy.

In fact when talking about Drosera filiformis we are actually talking about a species complex. Drosera tracyi has been established as a species for some time, and Drosera floridana has been raised to species rank just in mid-2026. It has been formerely known as D. filiformis var. floridana or ''Florida red''. It is endemic to Florida.

Drosera filiformis or Drosera filiformis subsp.filiformis is the northern taxon of the complex. It is a winterhardy temperate zone plant. It's best to let it grow among sphagnum moss, which keeps it humid and protected during the winter. It does not appreciate drying winter winds.