Determining Cold Hardiness for Drosera and Sarracenia in the Pacific Northwest

A Portland-area grower sought clarification on winter placement for three plants: Drosera multifida 'Extrema' (outdoors since April), Sarracenia minor 'Okee Giant', and Drosera filiformis 'Dreamsicle' (showing leaf dieback).

Jeff Dallas classifies D. multifida 'Extrema' as Zone 9: it handles light frost but not hard freezes. He overwinters them successfully in cold-frame greenhouses but not in exposed Sarracenia pools. S. minor 'Okee Giant' stays outside with other Sarracenia; Dallas finds it no more tender than other Gulf Coast species. Standard precautions apply during hard freezes: move pots to an unheated garage or cover them. All plants return outside once temperatures moderate.

Dallas strongly warns against keeping plants in a garage all winter as a "shortcut." Without rain and UV light, plants are highly susceptible to Botrytis (gray mold). He lost his first S. × 'Adrian Slack' this way despite fungicide treatment. Outdoor exposure with proper freeze protection is safer.

For D. filiformis 'Dreamsicle': southern forms (D. tracyi, 'Florida Giant') can be tender in hard freezes. Keep pots from sitting deep in water during winter to prevent hibernaculum rot. Provide extra shelter during severe cold. Be especially wary of late spring frosts—Dallas lost a batch of 'Florida Giant' to a late freeze after they survived winter.