Expert: Sarracenia Northwest - 5/5/2010

Question
Hi Jeff and Jacob,

I bought a N. Rafflesiana today from a local nursery.  I thought I remembered it not needing high humidity, however after searching around I have not found a difinitive answer.  So do I need high humidity for rafflesiana or will it acclimate to lower humidity?

Answer
Hi Shayne,

This is a lowland species, and temperature is much more critical than humidity.  Ideally the nighttime temperature should be above 70°F.  You can get by with 60°F at night, but the plant may slow down.  Day temps should be above 80°F.  

I also don't know where you live, so I can't comment fully on humidity.  In general, this species will acclimate to lower humidity provided that the soil is kept moist, the lighting is bright and the temperature is ideal.  You may see some leaf spotting and smaller pitchers from the lower humidity, but high humidity is not as crucial as most folks make it to be.  Besides, if you're thinking about putting the plant in a terrarium, you'll have to think long-term.  This plant gets big, very big.  Will you have a terrarium large enough to accommodate such a plant?  I think you'll be better off growing as a houseplant.  It's a lot easier to acclimate a smaller plant to lower humidity than a large one.

Good growing!
Jacob Farin