Question

Dana's Delight Example   QUESTION: I recently ordered a few plants from Ohio, and those are already dormant, I understand. But I live in Florida, and while it's gradually cooling off (day temps in the 80s, some nights reaching to the 60s), I believe it's a long way off from dormancy temperatures. I've read that the plants getting warm again after entering dormancy will severely affect them. Is this true? If so, should I move them to my fridge or something, or is that additional shock even worse?

I also want to know why my Sarracenia pitchers curl. My memory is too poor to recall if they do it during spring and summer, but they're doing it now, and I want to know what causes this, or if it's normal (just the winter leaves, maybe?)

And finally, some of the newly growing pitchers are turning brown. Is this dormancy related, or sunburn?

*My plants grow outside. I only brought the photographed one into the kitchen to take a better picture.
***The premature dying also happens on pitchers that are growing straight, and even on baby growing points.

ANSWER: Hi Liz,

That's a Dana's Delight?  It really looks like the nursery in Ohio grew it in very poor conditions.  Ideally it should have tall red pitchers.  Even when dormant, the tall red pitchers will remain.  We grow this and all other Sarracenia strictly outdoors in Oregon, and Dana's Delight maintain most of their pitchers until the following spring.

You know, I really haven't seen this hybrid behave this way.  Ever.  This is the first time I've seen it produce sickle-shaped non-carnivorous leaves.  Based on how the plant looks, it most likely was growing in very low light conditions, the soil was allowed to dry out, and the growers used excess fertilizers.

Fortunately, I can see some redness in the tips of the pitchers, so you're providing lots of sunlight.  I wouldn't worry about the dying tips.  The current pitchers are malformed and will need time to acclimate to your region.

Grow your plant outdoors in full sun.  Give your plant lots of mineral-free water.  Yes, it was probably dormant in Ohio, but given how the plant looks, it's not healthy enough to sustain itself through dormancy.  So don't worry about the dormancy issue.  Plants can get by if they miss dormancy for a year or two.  In most parts of Florida, it's cool enough for Sarracenia to go dormant.  Keep in mind that many Sarracenia are native to your state.

For more information about growing this and other Sarracenia, read our care sheet online:
http://www.cobraplant.com/caresheets

I also recommend watching our DVD, Grow Carnivorous Plants Volume 1.  We show you step-by-step how to grow North American carnivorous plants:
http://www.cobraplant.com/caresheets

Good growing!
Jacob Farin

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Yes, it is. It's not one of the new ones, it's a division from a parent plant I've had for a year or two by now, but it's the one with the most "sickle-shaped leaves" as you put it. (ps. leaves and pitchers are the same, right?)
I've had this problem for well..years, I guess. As long as I've been growing. It comes and goes throughout the year, I think. Or maybe it's only in winter. I'm not sure. I was merely curious because I don't see how the traps can function if they're curved over, and more often than not, they die anyway.
But I'm not a total failure of a grower, I have beautiful deep red Sarracenia, and this summer, my oldest Dana's produced big, gorgeous, straight pitchers that were over 18" tall. I'm just trying to get better and figure out one of my downfalls.

The ones from Ohio are also concerning me. They don't have any winter leaves (but then again, I don't know what a winter leaf is...I know there'll be no growth period, thus eliminating any possibility of a leaf)! When they arrived, I had to trim off most of the pitchers as they were dead, and a couple looked alright, but those have turned mostly black/brown now as well, and if I trim those off...then they'll be bare stubs, and I don't see how they'll survive winter.

I have read your care sheet, and I do everything :) Peat/Perlite (genuine peat and pure perlite with no fertilizers), I never fertilize my plants, they grow outdoors in the sunniest spot on the property (though now the sun has moved with the seasons and they don't get much direct sun anymore, still an hour or two and plenty of bright light)
The only thing that I'm stuck on is that while they're native to here, I don't think they're native to central Florida, and it certainly doesn't get down to 50F for 3-4 months. Maybe for a weekend. That's it. So how can they have a good dormancy?

Answer
Since you've had the plant for a couple years, that sheds more light to the situation.  From your original message, I had the impression that you just received the plant, so my comments were reflective of that.  (Horticulturally speaking, if a plant is in your possession for more than 6 months, you essentially grew the plant.  By that point, all older growth from the previous nursery would have died off and your plant will have leaves that grew under your care.)

If you have another Dana's Delight and it's growing normally, then I strongly suspect that the plant in the photograph is NOT Dana's Delight.  Your plant's growth habit is very inconsistent with Dana's Delight.  In fact, your plant is showing more oreophila, and possibly flava, characteristics than the known parentage in the hybrid.  

Another possibility is that the plant is Dana's Delight AND it is infected with a plant virus that's causing the pitchers to curl like that.  If that's the case, you might as well chuck the plant.  It'll never recover from it, and it poses a risk of infecting other plants in your collection.

The only plants that produce winter leaves are S. flava, S. oreophila and hybrids made with either species.  

You're right that not many Sarracenia are native to central Florida.  (A natural colony of S. minor grows in central Florida.)  However the region is USDA zone 9, possibly 10.  It's still cool enough for Sarracenia to experience a light dormancy.  You might not get as vigorous growth out of your plants in the years to come, but it'll suffice.  I have a friend who has been growing Sarracenia in Hawaii for more than a decade!  Incidentally, he's the guy that registered Dana's Delight.