Drosera regia, 10 seeds

Drosera regia is the most spectacular of the easy to grow Drosera. Grown outside or in a very bright greenhouse the leaves can easily be 45 cm long. The flower spikes are usually a little taller than the leaves and have large flowers. The plants can also be grown as large terrarium specimens. They tend not to get as tall or bloom under artificial light.

In the wild Drosera regia is or was found at two locations in the Bainskloof Range in South Africa near Cape Town at 500 to 900 m  elevation. The locations are very like Darlingtonia sites in the mountains of California and Oregon; essentially hillside seeps with water flowing though the soil. This may keep the roots in a constant cool or moderate environment year round. The plants grow in full sun but because of the altitude they tend to get mild days and cool nights. In the winter the plants form loose hibernacula. The soil is wet peat and gravel with small shrubs and very dense rush-like vegetation. With the dense vegetation this is not your typical Drosera habitat and this is not your typical Drosera.

Based on taxonomic characters and DNA analysis it is apparent that D. regia has no known closer relatives than Dionaea muscipula, Aldrovanda vesiculosa and Drosera arcturi. It has even been proposed Drosera regia be removed from the genus Drosera because is it so unlike other Drosera except it looks like one. Knowing this heritage is important to a discussion about growing D. regia because in essence you can not assume you can grow it like you grow other Drosera.

Drosera regia can be grown as if they were Sarracenia, including soil fertilization, as long as they have some heat protection in very hot weather and freeze protection in very cold weather. In USDA climate zone 9 and warmer the plants can be grown outdoors year round. They survive light frosts quite well if they have formed hibernacula. The plant will come back from roots if the main growth point is killed by an unusual light freeze. In areas with real freezes like zone 8 and colder the plants will need serious protection in the winter. I live in zone 7 and I grow my regias in a heated greenhouse. If you grow them outside you can overwinter them indoors under some LED lights.

I plant to do a full video on growing Drosera regia on my Youtube channel, but for now just the essentials: don't assume Drosera regia is a sumdew, just because she looks as one. She needs a light soil mix, tall pots, bright light, air circulation and feeding. If she doesn't go completely dormant spray feed her regularly and be sure she has her osmocote pellets. She'll hunt by herself, but even if she's slathered with dead bugs, thats not enough. Feed the seedlings absolutelly too!