Expert: Sarracenia Northwest - 8/23/2011

Question
I have a S. leucophylla and a S. purpurea and was wondering about the water/liquid levels inside the pitchers?

I read that S. purpure's water in their pitchers is actually mostly rain/distilled water so does that mean I need to check the water levels whenever I water?  Does the plant regulate it itself?

Same for the S. leucophylla, do I have to ever check to see if there's any liquid inside their pitchers?  The lids on them make it hard to actually get any water inside (I realize this is intentional) and does the plant regulate the level of liquid/water inside the pitchers itself?

Thanks.

Answer
Hi Akira,

Sarracenia purpurea and all of it's subspecies have the same thing in common, in that they collect rainwater in the pitchers to drown insects.  They secrete some enzyme in pitchers, but they will not have any fluid unless it rains, or you put some in there manually.

S. leucophylla and all the trumpet pitchers begin secreting digestive enzymes in them as insects fall into them.  They don't tend to have noticeable fluid in pitchers unless you cut them open.  Books often falsely show liquid in pitchers; this is incorrect; they are not like Nepenthes.  The lid is there to keep excess rain out.  If a pitcher fills up the plant will take the water out.

Good Growing!

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