Q/A #88 - Is my Cape Sundew Dying?

QUESTION:
I recently got a Drosera capensis albino (from another nursery), and it caught a LOT of small flies, and then proceeded to flower: However recently after flowering, a lot of the leaves started loosing the dew and the older leaves began to turn brown. At first i thought it was just the strands with dew, but then the whole leaf started to brown and it started happening on multiple leaves. It might be that the leaves on the bottom are dying as it grows but i am not sure. 
(Submitted in May 2019.)

RESPONSE BY JEFF DALLAS:
Before letting your plant bloom, it needs to be in excellent health. Unfortunately, it looks like your sundew isn't getting enough light or the location it's in is too hot. I'm not sure where you're located or how much sun that window gets, but given that it's early spring, my guess is that the plant isn't getting enough light.

Dew production is a factor of lighting (and water) and not affected by flowers. We have many sundews that flower and maintain dew production. When a Drosera capensis has sufficient sunlight, it will have upright, more or less rigid leaves covered with dew. In bright locations, the tentacles will be faintly pink.

See if you can move the plant closer to the window where it can get about 4 hours of direct sun. Morning sun is best.  Just avoid very hot afternoon sun. Otherwise, supplement with cool or warm white LED lights, 20 watts minimum. 

The plant prefers cool to room-temperature conditions not going above 85 degrees. The lower leaves do indeed die off as the plant grows. This is normal. You may remove them if you wish after they completely brown-off and die. I recommend removing the flower stalk until you've found a brightly-lit spot for your plant to grow and be dewy.

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