Question
I am wondering if I should cut off all the pitchers on my Sarracenia. The top lid is brown but the rest is still red. I live in zone 9 and right now the highs of the days are 76 degrees and the nights are 45 degrees. I'm worried because it is not going through dormancy. There is still a few pitchers forming right now. Should I be worried that it is still growing? When is the time when sarracenia are suppose to go through dormancy?

Answer
Hi Eric,

Sarracenia vary widely in how much they loose their leaves.  The browning you're seeing is a sign that the plant is slowing way down, and my guess is that the new pitcher production is slowing way down.  When exposed to natural daylight cycles the plants will go dormant.  It just may not always look like it.  Some plants such as S. flava and S. oreophila will rapidly loose their pitchers this time of year, while varieties such as S. purpurea ssp. purpurea and S. psittacina barely change appearance at all.  All the hybrids and other species are everywhere in between.  Bottom line, your plant is doing exactly what it should.  It's fine.

Good Growing!

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