Drosera praefolia

Early sundew

A tuberous, rosetted sundew from southern South Australia, from the Fleurieu Peninsula to Kangaroo Island. Unusually, its flowers appear in April–May before the leaves, straight from the tuber after the first autumn rains. A flat rosette 4–6 cm across follows through the cool, wet winter, and the plant then dies back to its tuber for the hot, dry summer. Grow it as a winter-growing tuberous Drosera, with a strict dry summer rest.

At home, aim for

Day Cool-growingTargets in Plantistry

Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry

Humidity Ordinary room humidityBand in Plantistry

Light Bright, filtered lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry

Expects a seasonal restGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

Open eucalypt woodland and heath margins in lateritic clay-sand, loam or decomposed shale. The soil is wet through winter and baked dry in summer. It can form large colonies, with one iNaturalist observer on Kangaroo Island noting thousands of plants.

Low elevations, from near sea level to the low hills of the Fleurieu Peninsula, mostly under about 400 m.

South Australia

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates

✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it

✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light

✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it

✓ Substrate and airflow

✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

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Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app.