Sarracenia alata Growth, Seed Maturation, and Sphagnum Moss Care

Question: My S. alata "Texas form" only makes tiny pitchers (<3"). Will cutting them off promote large ones? Others are dividing well. How do seeds mature—inside fruit or outside? I'll have sphagnum moss layer this dormancy; will fungicide kill it? Can sphagnum grow as tropical or need dormancy?

Answer

Hi Dustin,

Cutting small pitchers may or may not help—S. alata takes time after division, then gets large. Oddly, they like being root-bound; I've seen huge plants in tiny pots, even breaking them.

Seeds form inside the ovary (ball-like center of flower). Wait until brown, then open—5 chambers with bean-shaped seeds. Outside structures are dried stamens.

Many fungicides kill sphagnum. Sulfur is least toxic; Consan 20, Physan 20, Chlorothalonil definitely kill it.

Sphagnum grows fine as tropical—no dormancy needed. We get best growth in our rainy Pacific Northwest winter.

Good Growing!
Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
www.cobraplant.com