Expert: Sarracenia Northwest - 6/27/2011

Question
Dear Sarracenia Northwest,
You may remember my previous question on the soil for my Cape Sundew.  However, I am having a different problem this time. I live in upstate New York and I put my Cape Sundew outside in the shade of a tree for two days.  I brought it in at night.  However, something strange has happened to my plant after I moved it back to its normal spot indoors (to stay as it got rainy).  The plant's tentacles started to move at weird angles and curved in on the leaf, almost like the plant was digesting itself.  After looking at previous answers on allexperts, my best guess is that the change of environment caused the tentacles to react or perhaps some dust got caught on the plant's leaf, causing the tentacles to curl.  I've also noticed a few small pink spots on some of the leaves (the non-carnivorous parts). will my plant be okay and is there any way I can help it recover faster?

             Thanks,
                   Kendall

Answer
Hi Kendall,

To help your plant recover faster, stop moving it around!  Plants don't like being moved from place to place since that never happens in nature.  You've got to give it a chance to adapt to where it's going to live.  You can see all kinds of off things happen to them with that constant disturbance.  Since it's back in the house now, find a sunny window, and just let it be.  Keep it watered, give it a bug every now and then.  It should start looking much better.  

I have a Cape Sundew in a 5" pot in my west facing living room window right now as you read that looks great, and has been there about 6 months.  It's gone through some ups and downs with light from so many cloudy days, but now that it's summer is producing lots of dewy leaves and catching little bugs.

Good Growing!

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