Sarracenia Judith Hindle – pitcher plant
What’s not to love about these unique carnivorous plants? These lovely plants will catch flies, ants, wasps or just about anything that wanders by their tantalizing trumpets. They catch insects by creating an irresistible scent for pests and thus lure them into their trumpets, where they meet their doom, and the plant digests them for nutrients.
Plant Care
Light: Full direct sun is best, so keep these on the brightest window or outdoors (once nighttime temperatures exceed 10C) during spring and summer.
Watering: These plants must always sit in a shallow dish of water. They are sensitive to tap water, so best to use rainwater, distilled, or deionized. Never pour water directly into the pitchers. During winter dormancy, keep the soil just moist at all times.
Temperature: Just about all species of Sarracenia are frost tolerant, but it’s best to avoid letting them freeze as it could send them into a longer dormancy period. You will need to let them have their winter dormancy or cooling-off period, so be sure to place them in a space below 12C over winter. A cool conservatory or unheated greenhouse is ideal.
Potting: I find that carnivorous plants are best in sphagnum moss only.
Hot tips: These plants need to eat, so if they aren’t catching anything inside, you need to feed them a live insect weekly. Or, they will significantly benefit from being placed outdoors occasionally as the outdoor light and abundance of insect dinners will keep them happy.
Pet Friendly: YES