Drosophyllum

Dewy pine family · 1 in this guide

Substrate

Equal parts perlite, pumice, peat, coarse vermiculite and sand — a distinctly dry, mineral mix. Plant in a large terracotta pot (at least 30 cm) because of the long taproot, which does not tolerate transplanting.

Pot

The unglazed terracotta pot is a deliberate exception to the plastic rule here: it dries out faster than plastic, matching this species' need for dry roots.

Water

Keep evenly moist with the tray method for the first 6-8 months; after that, no more standing water, and let it dry out between waterings — wet roots for too long are fatal, more so than for any other genus in this guide. Keep flowering plants slightly drier than actively growing ones.

Location and light

Full sun, even on the hottest and driest days — this is the exception that declines in shade.

Temperature

Thrives outdoors year-round in a mild Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and wet winters. Tolerates light overnight frost down to about -4 °C if the following day warms up again, but bring the plant indoors during prolonged frost below that. No winter dormancy needed.

Source: the per-species habitat data elsewhere in this guide, summarised by genus.