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Carnivorous Plants/tropical pitcher

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Expert: - 6/26/2007


Question
With my pitcher plant Asia I think it  the pitchers turn this hot pink color is that nomal

Answer
Hello Joe,

Nepenthes develop a range of colors on their pitchers according to species and age. It yours is a Nepenthes ventricosa, it will develop reddish or pink pitchers. Other species, like the Nepenthes sanguinea, will produce pitchers with orange and red mottling. Some are brown, some yellowish or with all green pithcers, others are purplish. The predominant color among many carnivorous plants is in the reds.

As long as the plant does not look sick, stop making pitchers altogether, and turn brown and dry, it is doing fine.

Christopher

Carnivorous Plants

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Christopher Littrell

Expertise

I am capable of answering questions about the most common carnivorous plants found in cultivation. I have no personal experience with Byblis, Drosophyllum, Aldrovanda, and Heliamphora. I have not cultivated gemmae forming pygmy sundews nor tuberous sundews. For information regarding those aforementioned species, I would suggest contacting other experts. I can answer questions regarding most species of Nepenthes, tropical and temperate Drosera, Mexican Pinguicula, Sarracenias, and Dionaea. I have some limited experience with growing Utricularia, Cephalotus, and Darlingtonia.

Experience

I have grown carnivorous plants off and on for about 27 years. I have made the same mistakes and suffered the same mishaps that many growers make as they attempt to separate the myths from the realities of growing these plants. Currently, I am successfully growing a variety of tropical sundews, a Nepenthes, several Venus Flytraps of varying ages, and Sarracenias. I have been successful in stratifying Sarracenia seeds and providing artificial dormancy requirements for my temperate plants when needed.

Education/Credentials
I hold a Master's degree in Educational Psychology. Over my lifetime, I have constantly read books involving the growing conditions of carnivorous plants. I hope to incorporate the educational aspects involved in psychology with teaching other people how to cultivate carnivorous plants.

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