Drosera grievei has a useful identifying feature even before a flower opens: broad, overlapping sepals give the buds an unusually rounded appearance. This small sundew rewards attention to structures that are often left out of flower photographs.
Identity and appearance
Kew accepts D. grievei Lowrie & N.G.Marchant as a perennial native to south-western Australia. Kew record
Fierce Flora describes small rosettes with partly raised, slender-stalked leaves and white flowers. The large overlapping sepals make the buds appear swollen or ball-like. Its account contrasts the nearly smooth flowering stalk with the hairier stalk of D. trichocaulis. Field profile
Habitat
The field account records hilly country inland of Ravensthorpe, on sandy clay with some laterite. Habitat observations
A soil description gives useful context, but it is not a licence to collect wild substrate or a formula for filling a pot. Drainage, depth and seasonal moisture all affect what the plant experiences.
Cultivation and propagation
Carlton Carnivores recommends a deep pot, a sand-rich mix, bright light and moisture during winter growth. It advises against complete summer drying and describes propagation mainly through gemmae, with seed less frequent. Horticultural guidance
Treat those as recommendations for establishing a method, not evidence of one universal optimum. Record whether the actual accession remains active, develops a resting bud or produces gemmae as conditions change.
Building an identification record
Photograph unopened buds as well as open flowers. A bud can preserve the overlap of the sepals more clearly than a fully expanded bloom. Add a close view of the flowering stalk and a side view of the leaves.
Keeping those images with the original source label makes the species easier to distinguish from similar white-flowered pygmies and allows an identification to be reviewed without disturbing the plant.
Image credit: Amanda Shade, via iNaturalist photo 433362785, used under CC BY-NC 4.0. Image lightly touched up for clarity and colour; plant features unchanged.
Nano Nursery Drosera Encyclopedia — species profile. Related core chapters: 16, 17 and 29. Reviewed 23 September 2026. Cultivation evidence is identified in the text.
