Expert: Sarracenia Northwest - 9/24/2011

Question
I purchased a small pitcher plant at an orchid show but it did not come with a  label. I have set it in a saucer and realize I must keep it wet but since the water in the clear saucer turns brown is it advisable to use charcoal fragments in the water to keep it clean?

It is in a 3" pot, has at  least a dozen thin leaves from 3-4" long. The ends of the leaves have a little "pocket" looking almost like a faint lady slipper.

thank  you

Answer
The term pitcher plant is a very generic term.  There are several types of pitcher plants, such as North American pitcher plants (Sarracenia), Asian pitchers plants (Nepenthes), the Australian pitcher plant (Cephalotus), the cobra pitcher plant (Darlingtonia), and sun pitcher plants (Heliamphora).  Each type of pitcher plant has its own specific care, lighting, soil, water, and temperature requirements.

From your description, I'm going to assume that you have an Asian pitcher plant (Nepenthes).  This type of plant doe NOT like to sit in water.  Instead, you'll need to water it like a regular houseplant, or like orchids.  Top water only and allow the water to drain through freely.

In my experience, I haven't found charcoal do anything special as a soil additive other than allow for more drainage.  It will not keep the water from turning brown, and it will not remove soil odors.  The brown water is residue from the soil as the water passes through.  It's completely normal for the water that passes through to be brown if you're using soil additives that contain lots of fine particles, such as peat moss.

Make sure to read our care sheets to properly identify the type of pitcher plant you have and for general care information.  
http://www.cobraplant.com/caresheets

Good growing!
Jacob Farin