Reviving Wilting Sarracenia and Venus Flytraps After Repotting

Reviving Wilting Sarracenia and Venus Flytraps After Repotting

A new grower in Scottsdale, Arizona purchased two Dionaea muscipula (Venus flytraps) and two Sarracenia from a nursery. The plants arrived in humidity domes, so they were repotted into terra-cotta pots using a mix of coarse sand and "green moss" and watered with reverse osmosis (RO) water. After placing them in late afternoon sun for about an hour, the plants—especially the Sarracenia—became extremely wilty.

Wilted Sarracenia

Wilted Venus flytrap

Expert Advice

Jeff Dallas (Sarracenia Northwest) explains that after being packed in small cubes, the leaves are weak from excess humidity and insufficient light. The best course of action is to cut off the wilted leaves. This reduces transpiration and allows the plant to recover, producing new growth from the rhizome that is adapted to lower humidity and normal sun conditions. For the Venus flytrap, remove any leaves that begin to wilt as well.

Key Care Points

• Watering: Keep pots sitting in a small amount of water at all times; most carnivorous plants are bog plants.
• Soil Media: Use a 1:1 mix of peat moss and sand or peat moss and perlite. Avoid decorative "green moss" (which comes from tree bark) as it is not the same as sphagnum bog moss.
• Light: Provide bright, direct sunlight. Gradually acclimate plants to outdoor conditions.

Resources

For detailed care instructions, visit the Sarracenia Northwest care page. Both Sarracenia and Venus flytraps are cold-hardy. Consider the Volume #1 DVD for a full course on growing North American carnivorous plants.