Question
Decline of Pitcher pla
Hi, I have a pitcher plant that I have had since late June that is not doing too well. The pitchers are all drying out down to where they are filled with liquid. The dark green leaves are beginning to turn yellow. Is has been re-potted in peat moss mix and I keep the plant very moist. Is this plant too far gone?
AnswerHi Rachael,
I can see this is a Nepenthes x miranda. Since you haven't had this plant all that long, what is happening here isn't abnormal at all. You simply have older pitchers dying off that grew under different climatic conditions, namely a humid greenhouse in Apopka, FL. I can see in your photo new pitchers growing, and your leaves look perfectly healthy. If anything, your plant could use a bit more sun. Nepenthes miranda usually has reddish leaves in proper light, and yours look pretty green. Just cut those old pitchers off where the tendril connects to the leaves. If you have older leaves yellowing, just remove those also. Make sure that your pot the plant is growing in drains freely.
For more information on growing tropical pitcher plants consider our DVD, Grow Carnivorous Plants Volume #3, and visit our caresheet pages at: http://cobraplant.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=32
Good Growing!
Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com
