Culture
Best grown in consistently moist, well-draining soils in full sun. Prefers sphagnum-based potting soil with plenty of sand and/perlite. Plants will go dormant if exposed to temperatures consistently below 40°F. Can be kept in a warm, humid, indoor growing environment with supplemental light for continuous growth. Propagate through seed or division. Hardy in USDA Zones 7-9.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Drosera binata, commonly called forked sundew, is a carnivorous, herbaceous perennial native to sandy, coastal marshes, swamps, and bogs of southeastern Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania. Mature plants will reach 6-12" tall or more depending on the growing conditions and spread to fill a similar area, forming dense clumps. The upright, branched leaves are covered in sticky, glandular hairs that are used to capture small insects. The leaves vary in color from light green to red depending on light and nutrient availability. The 0.5-1" wide, fragrant blooms are white and held on upright, branched scapes in summer.
Var. dichotoma has highly branched leaves with 4-8 points.
Genus name comes from the Greek word droseros meaning "dewy" for the gland-tipped hairs on the leaves.
The specific epithet binata means "paired" and refers to the leaves of this species which are most often divided once to create two points. The infraspecific epithet dichotoma refers to the further branching of the leaves of this variety in pairs of two, creating 4-8 total points.
The common name forked sundew refers to the leaves of this species which are branched.
Problems
No major pest or disease problems of note. Water with rain water or deionized water.
Uses
Bog gardens, pond edges, containers. Can be grown indoors, with or without a dormancy period. Only purchase this plant from reputable sources that do not collect from the wild.