Frmo Sarracenia Northwest

 Nepenthes / Tropical Pitcher Plants

Nepenthes, commonly known as the Hanging or Asian Pitcher Plants, doubtless are the most ostentatious carnivorous plants next to the Venus flytrap. Among the most flamboyant and colorful of all plants, they are also extremes in carnivory, for Nepenthes are the only plants in the world that can be said to somewhat regularly eat vertebrates in the wild - small lizards, mice, and even rats have been found digesting in their orchid-like traps.

The genus occupies a vast natural range, spanning from Madagascar and the Seychelles, India and Indochina, throughout the innumerable islands of Southeast Asia and through the northeastern cape of Australia. Such a gigantic distribution has shown that Nepenthes, all 170+ species of them, have adopted countless forms, from the squat, ground-hugging detritivores, to tall arcing vines, some with tiny speckled traps like miniature wine glasses, others grown beastly, with sharp hook-lined gullets that drown rodents, and some remarkable species even bear pitchers which serve as roosts for bats!

Fortunately, the vast majority of Nepenthes are easily grown as houseplants. In fact, some of our most common houseplants originate from similar places that Nepenthes do. Only a small handful of Nepenthes require a carefully-controlled environment, like a grow chamber or ventilated terrarium. But those are expensive to keep and cultivate, so if you are new to growing Nepenthes, start off with one of the many easier species that grow well as a houseplant.

Below are some of the common species and hybrids you might find in cultivation:

Nepenthes sanguinea

Nepenthes truncata

Nepenthes x Miranda

Where to Grow
Nepenthes grow spectacularly on sunny windowsills. Always protect your plant from draft, extreme heat, and freezing temperatures. Windowsills that have Southerly, Easterly, or Westerly orientations are adequate, the main concern being ample sunlight. Humidity is a negligible factor, with ambient household humidity being more than adequate for most varieties. You may be able to grow Nepenthes outside if you live in a subtropical climate, like much of Florida or the Gulf Coast. As they are tropical plants, take care never to expose your Nepenthes to freezing temperatures, especially snow or frost. Many can take chills down through the low 40s F (4 deg. C), but this is best avoided.

Sunlight

Provide partial sunlight, several hours of direct sun with bright filtered light during the rest of the day. Avoid full shade. Sun is the key element in getting your plant to grow pitchers. The energy provided by photosynthesis is what grows the traps, and the light from the sun is essential to producing good color.

With proper sunlight, many Nepenthes can be grown as regular houseplants.
The photos below are from our customers!

Artificial Lights
If a sunny window is not possible, use strong LED shop lights (minimum 20 watts) with cool or warm white lights. (Growlights with blue and red diodes are unnecessary.) Start with the lights approximately 12 inches above the plant. Monitor your plant and adjust the height of the light source if you are not satisfied with its growth. Use an electrical timer to maintain a photoperiod (consistent daylight hours, 14 hours is sufficient throughout the year).

Temperature
If you are comfortable in jeans and a t-shirt, your Nepenthes are comfortable naked. Daytime temperatures should be about 75°F. Nighttime temperatures may drop into the 60s but not necessary with most Nepenthes. Some highland species appreciate a drop into the 50s or lower at night, with a rise in temperature back up to the 70s F.

Water
Unlike other carnivorous plants, Nepenthes will tolerate hard water (up to 200 parts per million) with almost no adverse effect. Make sure the water drains through the soil completely, hefting the pot to make sure it's heavy and saturated. Avoid standing water, as this can cause root rot in Nepenthes, and can make them susceptible to pests.

Soil
Use a mix of 1 part dried sphagnum moss and 1 part perlite. Avoid using potting soil and compost, as their nutrient and mineral ingredients can kill carnivorous plants.

Tropical Drosera/Sundews

Tropical sundews are as weird and wonderful as carnivorous plants can get. They come in a plethora of shapes, sizes, and colors, and most are surprisingly simple to keep! Below are a few of the most common tropical sundew species you might find in cultivation:

Drosera capensis

Drosera aliciae

Drosera spatulata

Drosera x Marston's Dragon

Drosera scorpioides

Drosera regia

While there are certain characteristics to each variety, the general care is the same for all of them. Use the following guide as a general rule to growing tropical sundews.

Range
Tropical sundews originate from warm climates of the world. South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and South America are all hotspots for tropical Drosera. In their native habitat, frost never or rarely occurs, and it never snows. Their preferred habitat is mostly open, wet fields, or cliff-side seeps with thin, weak soil where they can get lots of sunlight.

Where to Grow
Many tropical sundews can be quite adaptable. A sure-fire way to keep them is indoors as a tropical houseplant on a sunny windowsill. If you live in a tropical climate where the temperature rarely drops below 55°F (13°C), you have the option of growing your plants outdoors. Regardless of where you grow them, always protect tropical sundews from excessive wind, harsh sunlight, and especially freezing temperatures.

Sunlight
Provide partial sunlight (several hours of direct sunlight with bright filtered light during the day). Avoid full shade. Direct sun can burn them, though with determination, the tougher species such as Drosera capensis can be acclimated to more extreme heat and direct sun over the length of a few seasons. Other species, including Drosera spiralis and D. graomogolensis, should be kept inside to protect them from harsh weather.

Artificial Lights
If a sunny window is not possible, you can use strong fluorescent lights (a minimum of 40 watts in actual output). Start with the lights approximately 12 inches above the plant. Monitor your plant and adjust the height of the light source if you are not satisfied with its growth. Use an electrical timer to maintain a photoperiod (consistent daylight hours - 14 hours is sufficient throughout the year).

Water
All sundews require mineral-free water. If your tap water is relatively pure (less than 50 parts per million in dissolved minerals), then you can safely water your sundews with it. Otherwise, you can use distilled bottled water. Keep the soil wet at all times. You can do this by setting the plant in small amounts of standing water, up to halfway up the pot.

Soil
Use a soil mixture of 1 part peat moss and 1 part perlite. Never use potting soil, compost or fertilizer; they will kill your plant.

Sarracenia / Native Pitcher Plants

and Native American Carnivorous Plants

Sarracenia, the American pitcher plants, are native to the US Gulf Coast states and all along the East Coast, from Eastern Texas through to Florida, and north through the New England states and the Southern provinces of Canada. There is even one natural population in extreme east British Columbia! These plants get their name from their pitcher-shaped leaves. They capture insects by producing nectar along the rim of their pitchers. When an insect starts to lick up the nectar, it tries to get more by reaching in the pitcher. When it loses its footing, it falls right in!

The inside walls of the pitcher are very smooth, so insects are not able to crawl out. They also can't fly out because there isn't any airlift in a tube! Eventually the insect dies, and as it decomposes, the plant absorbs its nutrients right through its leaves. Mmm....

Where to Grow
Sarracenia grow best outdoors as a container or potted plant on a sunny deck or patio. You may also grow them in a pond or fountain, but keep their crowns above water. Because of their specific soil requirements, avoid planting them directly into the ground.

Sunlight
During the growing season, grow your Sarracenia outside in full sun with 6 or more hours of direct sunlight, for vigorous growth. If full sun is not possible, provide a minimum of 4 hours of direct sunlight with bright indirect light during the rest of the day. Such a plant won’t be as vibrantly colored as one grown in full sun, but they can still grow more/less healthily.

Heat Tolerance
Sarracenia tolerate the summer heat well. They originate from an area where temperatures above 90°F (32°C) commonly occur in summer.

At our nursery in Oregon, our plants are well accustomed to hot dry summers.
On occasion, our relative humidity drops as low as 12%.

Water
Sarracenia require mineral-free water. If your tap water is relatively pure (less than 50 parts per million in dissolved minerals), then you can safely water your Sarracenia with it. Otherwise, use bottled distilled water. Keep the soil wet at all times. You can do this by setting the plant in small amounts of standing water, no more than halfway up the pot.

Soil
Use a soil mixture of 1 part peat moss and 1 part perlite. Never use potting soil, compost or fertilizer; these ingredients will kill your plants.

Winter Care
Sarracenia require 3-4 months of winter dormancy triggered by cold temperatures (below 50°F or 10°C) and shorter daylight hours. As your plants enter dormancy, they will stop growing altogether. Some plants will retain their pitchers into winter, but many leaves will turn brown. While dormant, your plants can withstand overnight frosts down to 20°F (-7°C). As long as temperatures rise above freezing during the day, you don't need to protect them. However, even while dormant, plants will still need to sit in a small amount of standing water to prevent their soil from drying out.

If you live in zones 7 and 8, pay attention to weather alerts. If weather forecasts predict the daytime temperature will remain below freezing for more than a couple of days, you will need to protect your plants from frost burn, a type of dehydration that occurs during prolonged freezes. Cover your plants with tarp (or move them to an unheated enclosure). When the daytime temperature rises above freezing, you may uncover your plants and allow it to continue its dormancy as usual.

If you live in zones 6 or colder, areas where the temperature routinely drops below freezing for more than a week at a time, you will need to mulch your container plants for the winter. Maintain soil moisture whenever the temperature rises above freezing. Uncover your plants in early spring.