You are here:

Carnivorous Plants/is this pitcher plant dead.

Advertisement

Expert: - 4/1/2010


Question

red pitcher plant
allexperts,

Did my pitcher plant make thru the winter.   I cut the dead leaf from the plant.  The plant is red pitcher. ( rubra i belive.) I have attached a picture hopefully it will get to you.  

Sincerely,

Weylin

Answer
Hi Weylin,

To determine if the plant is dead or not, you'll need to unpot it and examine the roots and rhizome.  Ideally the roots should be white and supple.  With the rhizome, gently scrape off the outer layer to expose the inside.  The rhizome should be firm and the flesh should be white.  If you see all of this on your plant, you can expect it to pull through when the weather warms up.

A dead rhizome will have roots with brown tips and a soft rhizome with a brown core.  

Good growing!
Jacob Farin

    Questioner's Rating
    Rating(1-10)Knowledgeability = 10Clarity of Response = 10Politeness = 10
    Commentallexperts, Thank you for your answer it has help me alot. This site continues to be the best site for this topic when you need help growing these plants. Sincerely, Weylin


  • Ask a Question

Sarracenia Northwest

Expertise

If your plant is showing poor growth, discoloration, abnormal leaves or possible infestation, the growers at Sarracenia Northwest can help! Carnivorous plant experts Jeff Dallas and Jacob Farin will help you diagnose the problem and get your plants on the right track. Their no nonsense approach has helped thousands of growers all over the world. They can help you too!

Experience

With over 40 years of combined experience, Jeff and Jacob has definitely taken a straight forward approach to growing carnivorous plants. They have encountered many types of diseases, abnormal growth and infestations related to carnivorous plants, and they know what it takes to get plants looking beautiful and healthy again.

Education/Credentials
Authors of Secrets to Growing Beautiful Carnivorous Plants for Your Home and Garden and producers of the Grow Carnivorous Plants! DVD Series. They also produce a monthly video podcast to illustrate how plants cycle through the seasons.

No terrariums. No myths. No nonsense.
Just the straight facts from guys who grow and propagate
thousands of carnivorous plants each year.

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING YOUR QUESTION:
We no longer answer how-to questions (i.e. How do I propagate...?; How do I grow...?).

Instead, we help growers by diagnosing a specific plant problem and offering solutions (i.e. Why is my sundew not producing dew?; Is now a good time to divide my Sarracenia?; Why are the traps turning black?; What's a good substitute for perlite?; Why didn't my seeds germinate?; Can you identify this carnivorous plant for me?)

For general plant care, please read our care sheets on our main website:
http://www.cobraplant.com/caresheets

For business questions:
http://www.cobraplant.com/contact


Carnivorous Plant Videos Facebook
Follow us on Youtube and Facebook!


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