Drosera Spatulata 'Labill' Aquatic Farmer Tissue Culture
Plant Profile
Drosera spatulata 'Labill' Aquatic Farmer Tissue Culture, commonly known as the Spoon-Leaf Sundew, is a compact carnivorous plant native to sunny, nutrient-poor bogs across the Asia-Pacific region. It forms neat, low-lying rosettes of spoon-shaped leaves densely lined with glistening, sticky glandular tentacles that turn vibrant reddish-pink under bright lighting. In a setup with damp, mineral-free soil, its dewy traps serve as a natural controller for stray gnats while adding a unique functional highlight to humid vivarium layouts and open terrarium displays.
Key Features & Notes
- Spoon-shaped rosette leaves feature dewy, sticky tentacles that blush vivid red in bright light.
- Compact size makes it an excellent carnivorous accent for damp, high-humidity setups.
Care & Planting Instructions
-
Thoroughly wash away the nutrient gel from the roots with your fingers under cool water before planting.
- Press the small rosettes gently into nutrient-poor, acidic substrate like pure sphagnum moss or a peat moss and perlite blend; avoid standard potting soils or fertilizers.
- Maintain high ambient moisture and keep the substrate consistently damp using distilled, reverse osmosis, or rainwater to protect sensitive roots.
- Provide moderate to bright indirect lighting to encourage rich crimson leaf coloration and active mucilage production.
- Drosera spatulata are terrestrial plants, and being submerged will result in the death of the plants.
Quick Facts
Listed information should be treated as general guidelines only. Team Buce Plant encourages you to do thorough research to ensure healthy growth!
| Attribute | Specification |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Drosera spatulata 'Labill' |
| Common Name(s) | Spoon-Leaf Sundew, Round Leaf Sundew |
| Family | Droseraceae |
| Plant Type / Taxonomy | Terrestrial Carnivorous Rosette |
| Care Difficulty | Easy |
| Light Requirement | Moderate to Bright (Indirect) |
| Submersion Suitability | Emersed Only (Not for full submersion) |
| Placement / Usage | Foreground, Moist Moss Beds, Bog Layouts |
| Height / Size | 1"–3" (2.5–7.5 cm) |
| Growth Rate | Fast |
| Humidity Requirement | Moderate to High (> 60% RH) |
| Propagation Method | Flower Stalk Cuttings / Leaf Offsets |
| Origin | Asia-Pacific / Australasia |
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What kind of water should I use for Drosera spatulata?
Always use mineral-free water such as distilled, RO (reverse osmosis), or rainwater. Tap water containing minerals or dissolved salts will build up in the substrate over time and burn the delicate root system.
2. Can Drosera Spatulata 'Labill' be grown fully submerged underwater in an aquarium?
No. Drosera spatulata is an emersed bog plant and will drown if fully submerged underwater. It thrives on damp soil in terrariums, vivariums, or paludarium land sections where its leaves remain exposed to air.
3. How do I propagate Drosera spatulata as it grows?
Drosera spatulata propagates easily by forming offset rosettes around the base, producing seeds from flower stalks, or producing plantlets along leaf cuttings placed on damp sphagnum moss.