Native to the southeastern United States, Drosera tracyi is one of the showiest of the thread-leaf sundews. With long, slender leaves that can reach up to 18 inches tall, each one covered in shimmering, sticky “dew,” tracyi looks like a botanical firework—exploding upward in a perfect rosette of motion and light.
Unlike many carnivorous plants that stay compact, D. tracyi is upright and dramatic. The dew-covered leaves glisten in sunlight, attracting and capturing flying insects with ease. In late spring to early summer, it sends up tall, wiry stalks topped with delicate pink to white blooms, adding an extra layer of visual interest.
This species is both easy to grow and rewarding, thriving in full sun with consistently moist, acidic soil and pure water (rainwater, distilled, or reverse osmosis is best if living outside the Bay Area). It prefers an outdoor environment or a sunny windowsill with excellent light and airflow. Like other temperate sundews, it requires a winter dormancy period—growth slows or halts, leaves may die back, and it rests until spring.
