You are here:

Carnivorous Plants/Sarracenia Purpurea

Advertisement

Expert: - 4/14/2009


Question
I have brand new pitcher leaves opening up (for right now
the opening is very small because i believe it only opened
last night or this morning), so when the opening gets
bigger do i have to pour the distilled water in it to
imitate rain, or will it produce its own liquid? Or both?
If it produces its own liquid how long does it usually
take?

Answer
Hello Matt,

Sarracenia purpurea does require rain water in nature. The way to tell if a pitcher plant species requires water added to its pitchers is to simply observe the hood. If the hood is open at top, like S. purpurea, it allows rain to drip inside to enable the plant the ability to drown insects and create a bacterial microenvironment for nitrogen production. Other species of Sarracenia actually have hoods that occlude or cover the opening and keep rain out for the most part as those plants produce their own digestive fluids and siphon water in from their root systems. You can add about half the pitcher level in water and let the plant attract insects. The pitchers will produce nectar like a flower, attracting ants, bees, wasps, and flies from all over.

Christopher

Carnivorous Plants

All Answers

Answers by Expert:

Ask Experts

Volunteer

Christopher Littrell

Expertise

I am capable of answering questions about the most common carnivorous plants found in cultivation. I have no personal experience with Byblis, Drosophyllum, Aldrovanda, and Heliamphora. I have not cultivated gemmae forming pygmy sundews nor tuberous sundews. For information regarding those aforementioned species, I would suggest contacting other experts. I can answer questions regarding most species of Nepenthes, tropical and temperate Drosera, Mexican Pinguicula, Sarracenias, and Dionaea. I have some limited experience with growing Utricularia, Cephalotus, and Darlingtonia.

Experience

I have grown carnivorous plants off and on for about 27 years. I have made the same mistakes and suffered the same mishaps that many growers make as they attempt to separate the myths from the realities of growing these plants. Currently, I am successfully growing a variety of tropical sundews, a Nepenthes, several Venus Flytraps of varying ages, and Sarracenias. I have been successful in stratifying Sarracenia seeds and providing artificial dormancy requirements for my temperate plants when needed.

Education/Credentials
I hold a Master's degree in Educational Psychology. Over my lifetime, I have constantly read books involving the growing conditions of carnivorous plants. I hope to incorporate the educational aspects involved in psychology with teaching other people how to cultivate carnivorous plants.

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.