Expert: Sarracenia Northwest - 7/25/2010

Question
Hello!

Last November, I was in our local Lowe's home and garden section, and surprisingly, the store had discounted all tropical plants (including mislabeled CP's!) to under a dollar apiece. So I rescued a pair of Sarracenia Purpurea, as well as the only flytrap in there that looked remotely save-able. Since it was so late in the year, I grew them indoors under very high-intensity fluorescent lights and skipped the dormancy, as you suggested. The plants thrived over the winter, to my surprise, and acclimated with no issue to full-sun growing this spring. Unfortunately, my flytrap is showing signs of exhaustion from skipping its winter rest. Over the past few weeks, the leaves reverted to their shorter forms, and growth has all but ceased. There are still several months left before it has any hope of getting to go dormant--I'm in Zone 6. what should I do to increase its chances of surviving until then? I hate to think that my efforts up until now are all in vain.

Thanks much,
Corey

Answer
Hi Corey,

I don't know if I have a good answer for you on this one.  The first thing that comes to mind is to repot the plant and inspect the rhizome to make sure you don't have any fungal problems causing the growth slow down.  After that, just move the plant to a slightly cooler location and hope for the best.  You could put it in the refrigerator to enhance the dormancy, but it would have to stay there until next spring.  That's a long time, and the risk of fungal problems is high by trying to hold it dormant that long.  

Some of the Sarracenia will go through a little mini-dormancy mid summer (such as S. leucophylla) when the weather is very hot.  They then later start growing again producing the best leaves of the season.  I've not witnessed flytraps doing this, but yours has been under unusual conditions.  Let me know what happens.  This is some very good information for other growers also.

Good Growing!

Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com