Drosera brevifolia. This 20 mm wide plant is growing in a cool greenhouse. It would be dark red in brighter light.

Drosera brevifolia from Hampstead, NC.

Drosera brevifolia and related species are found in North and South America. The group includes Drosera brevifolia found in the south eastern USA and south coastal Brazil, D. colombiana found in Colombia, D. panamensis found in Panama, and D. cayennensis found in Venezuela and northern Brazil. Species of the Drosera brevifolia group do not form hibernacula and are or should be treated as subtropicals. Drosera brevifolia tends to be a biennial. That is it grows for a period of time which may span one or more growth seasons then blooms itself to death or near death. The other species in the group live in seasonal habitats where they die back during the dry season. They are extremely rare in cultivation so we don't know how they perform under different environments.

Drosera brevifolia makes an excellent addition to any terrarium. It is quite small. Mature plants rarely exceed 20 mm in width. Drosera brevifolia tends to bloom in the spring. The pretty pink or white flowers are about 75% the width of the plant. Make sure you collect the seeds if you wish to continue to have it on your grow list.

Drosera brevifolia isn't very picky about soil. It grows well in pure peat as well as in the standard 1:1 peat:sand "CP mix". What you use will depend more on what works best in your growing conditions. The plants appreciate strong light and will tend to be redder under brighter light.

Sow the seeds on the surface of your medium of choice. CP mix works very well. Finely chopped dead sphagnum or sand over CP mix also works well.

What you do next depends on what works best for you. Everyone has their own preferred routine. I put pots with seeds in plastic zip-lock bags under but not too close to florescent lights. A temperature between 20°C to 25°C (70°F to 80°F) works best. When the seeds begin to germinate, I remove the pots from the plastic bags and put the pots to a bright location slightly drier that gets a little air circulation to help prevent damping off. The seedlings will be slow growing at first. Have patience.

Once the plants are large enough you can try feeding them small insects or get some dried blood worms at a pet shop. The dried blood worms can be dipped in water and placed on the dewy leaves--don't feed a plant that isn't dewy. If the food gets moldy, use less next time. A dab of 70% isopropanol (rubbing alcohol) from a small paint brush will kill the fungus.

Drosera brevifolia tends to go though cycles of growth and semi-dormancy. You should probably keep it somewhat drier when it is dormant. A happy Drosera brevifolia can live for years if you do not let it bloom. Cut off the flower stalks when you first notice them. If you let it bloom, make sure you collect the seed as the plant is likely to severely decline or die at this point. If you have lots of seed, send the extra in to the seed bank.