FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Does anyone know which kinds of pitcher plants fill up with water on their own?
For instance, I don't think the Sarracenia Purpurea gets filled with water unless you fill them yourselves or it gets rained on. Same with Sarracenia Psittacina, though in their case they get flooded. Do any of the trumpet-style North American pitchers fill on their own? A lot of Nepenthes seem to do it, but do all of them? And how about Darlingtonia or Cephalotus?

I believe my flava do. I've honestly not paid much attention to it.

North American pitchers do not. Cephs and Neps do. Darlingtonia do but probably not like you think.

Huntsmanshorn wrote: Darlingtonia do but probably not like you think.

I am a bit confused on what you mean by this. Could you elaborate?

Okay, lets see, Neps and Cephs are your classic pit trap. Bug falls in the liquid in the trap, drowns, and is turned into soup and the yummyness is absorbed by the plant. Simple enough. Now with Darlingtonia, the bug gets trapped in the tube and then the tube fills with liquid and the drowning and the soup making and absorbing begins. It's the difference between a pit trap and a room filling with water trap.

Oh, I thought that Darlingtonia was the same as Nepenthes and Sarracenia with the water in the trap.

Huntsmanshorn wrote:Okay, lets see, Neps and Cephs are your classic pit trap. Bug falls in the liquid in the trap, drowns, and is turned into soup and the yummyness is absorbed by the plant. Simple enough. Now with Darlingtonia, the bug gets trapped in the tube and then the tube fills with liquid and the drowning and the soup making and absorbing begins. It's the difference between a pit trap and a room filling with water trap.

Now I want to grow a Darlingtonia even more. Thanks for the info and the image of Indiana Jones in the Temple of Doom.

Stolon cuttings of Darlingtonia are quite easy. You could ask for one of them in the S/T/W side of the forum.

A simple general rule is that Sarracenia with operculums pointing upwards such as purpura, its hybrids and the like are designed to catch rainwater as it falls for breaking down prey and therefore need water occasionally, others with the lids ver the pitchers to prevent rain ingress create their own digestive juices and so don't need water. In fact on tall erect pitchers, they would bend and fall in the wind if full of water, plus it would dilute the digestive enzymes.

Cheers
Steve

Panman wrote: ↑Tue Jun 16, 2020 9:22 pmI believe my flava do. I've honestly not paid much attention to it.

Sarracenia flava pitchers can get filled by rain, but they don't like it. They'll absorb the water and dry out the pitchers within a few days.