Question
Hi, my name is David and I live in Riverton Wyoming. I was wondering if my North American sarracenia pitcher plant will survive its winter dormancy with no leaves on it at all? When it started its dormancy all of the leaves were dieing so i cut all of them off. It is in a mix of 50/50 Sphagnum peat moss and perlite, and i am watering it with distilled water. I have the plant in an East facing window.
Thanks, David

Answer
Hi David,

Absolutely.  By then end of January we usually cut off all leaves on Sarracenia.  Doing that serves two purposes.  The first is hygiene.  Dead leaves provide a place for botrytis mold to grow that can later attack the plant's rhizome.  The other is light.  When new growth resumes in the spring, more light gets to the rhizome crowns and new leaves (pitchers) develop better because they are getting more sun.

There are a couple exceptions.  Sarracenia psittacina and S. purpurea.  They tend to have more evergreen leaves, and actually do catch some insects during the winter.

With your Judith Hindle, expect some new growth in late February.  Make sure it is in the sunniest window you have.

Good Growing!

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