Question
Greetings Sarracenia Northwest,

I have been raising the S. rubra you sent me as a gift plant over a year ago. It is currently growing multiple growth points in a five inch pot, soon to be upgraded, in 50/50 peat/perlite mix and watered with distilled water with the tray method. It is in 50% humidity and the temperature is about 80 degrees.

It has been grown inside since I received it since my region has killed all other garden plants placed outside thus far (Raymondville, TX.). It is within an inch of 12000 lumens of florescent lights that were on for 16 hours a day up until about two weeks ago. Now the florescent lights are being scaled down in preparation for winter dormancy and are now on for 14 hours a day. The plant also sits in a south facing window where it receives at least 4-6 hours of direct window sun per day plus the rest of the day in ambient light from the window. Its pitchers are over a foot tall and have developed the yearly patterning of colors each season. It now has deep reddish purple mottled pitchers with reds, golds, and yellows mixed in and several older pitchers are developing brown spots as usual this time of year.

When I received it it was a young division with one main crown and another new crown just beginning to develop. A few months later, after its first winter in my care, it had undergone a dormancy period with my Venus Flytraps for about 3 months and had begun growing normally again, showing a hint of a flower scape developing. That was early this spring. The plant has been holding on to this flower scape and is just now beginning to send the flower scape up at the beginning of fall. I know that some Sarracenias have been noted as holding a flower in wait for spring through several months of dormancy, but the sudden growth spurt of the scape has me at a loss. The Venus Flytrap flowered normally at the beginning of the year and produced seeds, so why would the Sarracenia suddenly decide that fall is a good time to flower? I have been waiting expectantly for the flower to develop, but now might not be the best timing.

Should I just wait and see what happens or clip the errant scape off after it grows a bit? Perhaps the plant will let it grow a while and then catch on that winter is coming.

Thanks for your advice,

Chris  

Answer
Hi Chris,

What you're witnessing is something common to windowsill growing.  On a south window, plants will get more sun exposure in fall, winter and spring.  In summer, they get almost no sun.  This has to do with the angle of the sun in the sky as it moves through the seasons.  In summer, the sun is higher in the sky, so even at mid day, your plants will be shaded by your home.  In fall, the sun drops in the sky, and your plants receive more sunlight.

Flower production is dictated mostly by changes in sunlight, while dormancy is dictated mostly by changes in temperature.  In your case, your Sarracenia thinks it's spring because it's getting more direct sunlight than it did during the summer months.  (Sarracenia are more sensitive to changes in sunlight than flytraps.)

Many growers also report that their tropical plants look better in winter than they do in summer.  Again, this has to do with their plants receiving more direct sunlight in winter than in summer.

Since your plant won't go fully dormant, you can allow it to flower.  It may slow it down a bit, but it's going to slow down if the temperature cools near the window.  In any case, allowing it to flower won't harm the plant.  We've experimented with growing Sarracenia rubra in a south window, and we too have seen it produce flowers in fall.  We allowed the plant to flower, and the plant did OK.  The flower, however, looked rather anemic since it wasn't really in full sun.  

Good growing!
Jacob Farin