Expert: Sarracenia Northwest - 10/16/2010

Question
Hello. I am only eleven and new at growing carnivorous plants. I have a Sarracenia rubra ssp. gulfensis that I purchased at my local botantical garden. I do not know the type of soil mixture, but I am keeping outside in a bowl of distilled water that is mantained at about an inch. I live in Contra Costa County, California and the average temperature there is about 80 degrees. My question is that my pitcher plant is browning around the hood on many of the pitchers. My guess that it is burning from the hot temperatures that occasionally rise to the mid-ninties.Please help!
   -Kenny Workman

Answer
This is a common problem when plants are grown in greenhouses or in shade and are suddenly exposed to direct sunlight.  While Sarracenia will grow in full sun, they need to acclimate to full sun.  Once acclimated properly, they will grow just fine.  

Right now, the damage is already done.  The leaf burn is permanent.  The most you can do at this point is simply wait for new growth.  All of the new leaves will be acclimated to full sun from this point on.  When the new pitchers open up, cut off the older burnt ones.

I strongly recommend watching Volume 1 of the Grow Carnivorous Plant DVD series.  There is a section on how to acclimate your plants to sunlight if they were grown in shade or in a greenhouse.
http://www.cobraplant.com/DVD

Good growing!
Jacob Farin