Drosera binata

When I was younger I grew a lot of carnivorous plants.  I loved them.  I started with Drosera capensis, gained some skills, and slowly built a rather impressive collection.  

I mostly had easier to grow species, many of which look incredible.  I had a low of sundews and pygmy sundews, many of which I don't see for sale any more.  It baffles me why they are not more common in collections because they grew so easily and looked incredible.

Drosera binata and other carnivorous plant - in a cage because birds keep pulling them out of the pots

One carnivorous plant I always wanted was a rather common Australian native sundew called Drosera binata.  I tried to buy a plant a few times but my timing was off and they were always sold out, I tried to trade for it once or twice but they forgot to put it in the package.  

Drosera binata - potted up after being posted

Now that I am older and am growing carnivorous plants again I wanted to get the elusive (yet incredibly common and apparently easy to grow) binata.  

I paid a lot of money for some seeds, which arrived quickly yet never germinated.  I ordered a binata ‘t form’ plant from a very reputable nursery and paid far too much for it, this plant quickly lost all of its dew, then all of the leaves died, then all signs of life above the soil line disappeared completely.  

Months passed and it never showed any sign of life.  I kept the pot in a tray with water just in case it was alive, but I figured that plant was dead and I was somehow jinxed with this species.  

I found this very odd because people often comment on how binata is one of the simplest carnivorous plants to grow, it is native to my area, and I have success growing more difficult plants.

Drosera binata slowly losing all of its leaves

Then a very generous person offered to send me some binata plants.  They sent multiple large healthy plants which I put in multiple pots.  This is different to the t form, most leaves have four tips and the leaf petioles are quite thick.  

This one self-seeds readily, I am told that many binata in cultivation cannot set seed so I was happy to have one that will seed.  These plants did not die back after postage, and did not lose their dew. 

Drosera binata

I thought that the binata t form was dead so I planted one of the smaller divisions in its pot.  Then, after a week or so, the t form sprouted and grew into two plants.  It wasn’t dead after all!

After they grew larger they started to flower.  The unnamed binata also started to flower at the same time in the same pot.  The ones growing in other pots are also flowering and developing seed.  They are lovely looking plants.

The binata 't form'  seems to grow branched flower stalks with many flowers, while the larger form of binata appears to produce less flowers and stalks that either don't branch or don't branch very much.  This may be due to the plants being weak after postage, they may all branch a lot once they have settled in a bit more.

Drosera binata flowers

Drosera binata flowering

Now I have two very different forms of binata, both of which I think are lovely, and both of which are flowering.  I am not sure if they are self-fertile or if they require cross pollination, but both of them are setting seed.  

Given that I have two very different forms of the same species flowering next to each other I dare say there will be some crosses and the seedlings should show some genetic diversity.  I can hardly wait to grow out the seedlings and see what they are like.

I do sell some carnivorous plants through my for sale page.  I often have some Drosera capensis plants, capensis seeds, and I usually have some typical venus flytraps for sale.  

 

I probably won't sell any binata unless some of the seedlings turn into something special, I would trade them though.  If you are interested in a trade I would been keen to hear from you as there are some species that I am trying to track down and grow again.