Carnivorous Plants/Pitcher plant

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Expert: - 1/4/2011


Question

pitcher plant
I submitted a question yesterday & Jeff Dallas told me a picture would help. Attached is a picture of the plant taken when i purchased it over the summer. All the leaves have since turned totally brown and I am wondering if I should cut off all these leaves. it is currently indoors in a sunny area. We live in Calabash, NC.

Answer

Sarracenia "Judith Hin
Hi Arlene,

Thank-you for the picture.  This really helps.  Your plant is a tropical, Southeast Asian pitcher plant called Nepenthes x "Miranda".  The term "pitcher plant" is a very generic term for 4 different genus of plants that come from different countries each genus having many different species, and very different care.  Nepenthes are tropical plants that come from places like Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.  They are not cold-hardy at all.

If just the pitchers have turned brown, but the leaves are still green, this is very normal for the winter.  They often loose pitchers when the days are short in the winter.  Just cut those off, but leave the leaves intact.  New pitchers will grow in the spring.  If all the leaves are brown and dead also, the plant is dead.  You mentioned in your last post that you brought it in after a frost, and that it was hanging in an area where the temperatures drop to around 40 at night.  That is too cold for this plant.  An occasional drop to near 40 wouldn't hurt one as long as daytime temperatures were always in the 70's and nights were more often in the 60's.  If the plant ever experienced a freeze, it's gone.

It sounds like you may have been confusing this plant with Sarracenia, our native pitcher plants.  I've enclosed an example of a Sarracenia pitcher plant.  These plants do stay outside being U.S. natives.  You have several species that grow right in your area in bog or pocosin areas along with sundews and Venus flytraps.

For more information on growing tropical pitcher plants consider our DVD, "Growing Carnivorous Plants" volume #3.  http://www.cobraplant.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=38&products_id=...

Good Growing!

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

Sarracenia Northwest

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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!

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