Drosera binata

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iFork-leafed sundew
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Caryophyllales Family: Droseraceae Genus: Drosera Species: D. binata
Binomial name
Drosera binata Labill., 1804

Drosera binata, (or the Fork-leaved sundew) is a species of sundew, a type of carnivorous plant. It is native to warm-temperate coastal regions of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, and Tasmania in Australia, as well as New Zealand. Drosera binata is unique among sundews in having narrow, branching leaves. Some populations of Drosera binata go dormant in the winter, while others are truly tropical.

Drosera binata cultivation is considered to be among the easiest among the genus, similar to that of Drosera capensis. Plants should be grown in a nutrient-free potting mix (such as sphagnum peat moss and washed sand), given high levels of light, and kept constantly watered using distilled, RO, or sterile rain water. Dormancy is not required.

D. Binata is the easiest sundew to grow from a leaf cutting. There are actually several methods to reproducing them, but leaf cuttings are the easiest and fastest growing. With any luck you should have a mature plant within a few months. Leaf cuttings should only be taken from a healthy plant, and the leaf should be one of the healthiest of all the leaves. Don't pick one that is dying. Pick one that is green and covered in sticky "dew". After you have chosen the leaf, get a small pair of scissors or razor blade and carefully cut it off. After the leaf has been cut, you have two choices; you can grow it in water or a carnivorous plant medium. Propagating the leaf in water is the best of the methods.

WATER METHOD: Get a dish of distilled, RO, or sterile rain water. A small dish that is meant to be used under a pot to hold water works great. After you have the dish filled with water, place the leaf in the water and float it. After that, put plastic wrap or something clear on top of the dish. This does two things: it keeps fungus and bacteria out and keeps the humidity high. Now you are done. Just be sure to label it somehow with the date and what type of plant it is. Place the dish in a sunny window sill and with any luck in 3-4 weeks you will see little plantlets coming out of the pad of the leaf. Once you see the plantlets appear, leave the leaf in the dish for a few more days and then plant it in a pot with the appropriate medium (1/2 peat, 1/2 perlite) and keep the dirt very moist and keep the pot covered to raise humidity. If fungus appears on any of the stages, either throw out the leaf and start over or use rubbing alcohol and a small paint brush to kill the fungus.

SOIL METHOD: Put the leaf in a pot with the appropriate medium (1/2 peat, 1/2 perlite) , keep the dirt very moist and keep the pot covered to raise humidity. If fungus appears, either throw out the leaf and start over or use rubbing alcohol and a small paint brush to kill the fungus.