FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hello everyone! I would like to confirm a few doubts/answers I have regarding my Sarracenia.

First of all, I've been reading a lot about this new plant and would like to confirm that this is a Sarracenia purpurea subs. Venosa. My girlfriend gave it to me about one week ago and it was labeled only as Sarracenia

Her conditions are:
Hydrated through a watered plate, distilled water only. Natural sunlight not filtered over a window, the plant is sitting out side in a small balcony on my window. It gets a lot of direct light from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.


Img 1: Complete pic of my Sarracenia

Question 0: Is this a Sarracenia purpurea subs. Venosa?
Question 1: As you can see on Img 1 there are some pits without their respective hoods, for that I wanted to ask if should I cut them down or are they working as leafs to make photosynthesis (and therefore should I leave them be)?


Img 2: Close picture of a torn leaf/hood

Question 2: Why are the hoods breaking? There is one picture but there two other hoods that are beginning to look the same, is it the wind (it gets a bit windy outside), dehydration, Superbugs, Or just careless moving?


Img 3: Hood that's beginning to dry out.

Question 3: Why in Img 3 the hood is drying? It has been progressing with the days, I'm afraid that it might be lack of water, but the pot has always been on an -distilled- watered plate. Other option that I read before is that it might be due to winter season.
Question 3a: Should I cut the brown section or just leave it be?


Img 4: Sarracenia buds?

Question 4: The plant came that way, are those tiny spikes new Sarracenian buds?
Question 5; If they are, since winter is approaching, what care should I have with them?

If this is a Sarracenia purpurea subs. Venosa I've read that they can withstand very low temperatures (up to -15 °C) and winter in Paris might get betwen -6/-8 °C at the most. Considering this, (Question 6) is this weather good enough for this to be an outdoor plant?

Finally I hasn't rained this week and the pits aren't filled with water so (Question 7) should I fill them manually?.

Thank you very very much for reading all this and I'm really sorry for the long post. Will try to be more precise and compact writer in the future!!

Bonus track: Is it good to feed the plan manually? (with live bugs)

I can't verify specific Serracenia you have as Nepenthes are more my thing but I can tell you that they like to sit in (distilled or rain) water. I do have a few Serracenia and they're outside in a bog garden.

What type of soil are you using?

Finally if they're outside then they'll do very well feeding themselves, trust me. A few of my pitchers were so full of insects, they fell over. They're gluttons.

Also, each pitcher has it's life cycle, then they brown and wither. The plant will send up new ones.

Last, seeing it's November Serracenia and VFTs are preparing to go dormant.

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Your plant looks nice and well cared for!
Question 0: I don't think so. Most plants sold at supermarkets are hybrids.
Question 1: You should probably leave them alone.
Question 2: It's probably a combination of all those things you mentioned. Sometimes wasps just sit on my lids and eat them.
Question 3: Sometimes pitchers just die. It's their natural life cycle. Most of my browning starts at the hood and goes down to the base.
Question 3a: Just leave it be.
Question 4: I don't believe so, although I'm no sarr expert.
Question 5: Just leave them be.
Sorry I'm saying "Leave it be" so much, its just because that's how these plants function in the wild.
Hope this helps!
Nep260

My gf got it on a plant store here in Paris (didn't put the name to avoid advertising as forum rules indicate) but it was labeled only as Sarracenia.
About the soil I am not completely sure. I also was gifted with a bag of dirt (Maybe a mix?) indicated for CP. Will go to the garage an see the details of what it contains.

And yes, I'll leave it be and hope for the best. I'm really looking forward for spring season to see if thos little spikes grow and turn into beautiful traps <3 hahahaha

Thanks for the advises guys! Will be in touch in anything interesting happens

Hard to say for sure what you have. Looks a little leggier than a pure purp but that's by no means a definitive disqualifier. Could be an x Catesbaei.

I have a question about the lighting
I have two 6500k light bulbs about a foot and a half above my carnivorous plants(nepenthes,venus fly trap alien,sundew,sarracenia bella). Is thatenough light or should I lower the lights

Ive discovered that sars don't need any more watering than VFT'S.

I keep both barely moist, like you can pick the pots up and they feel empty.