Sarracenia leucophylla, care of this beautiful carnivorous plant

The Sarracenia leucophylla It is one of the species of carnivorous plants that we can most easily find in any nursery, garden store and even on the Internet. It is very easy to care for, but it is also that the hybrids that are achieved are as or more beautiful than their parents.

So if you want to enter the world of the sarracenia, I can not think of something better than to start with it, the S. leucophylla. Believe me, you will not regret it … although if you have doubts, below we will explain everything you need to know to enjoy good health.

Origin and characteristics of Sarracenia leucophylla

It is a carnivorous plant native to the United States, where it grows west of the Apalachicola River in Florida. Its scientific name is Sarracenia leucophyllabut popularly it is called sarracenia, or rarely plant skin. It is common to find it sharing habitat with Marsh pine.

It can reach a height of between 30 centimeters to almost 1 meterand is characterized by developing modified leaves in the form of tubes in whose upper part they have a kind of hat or hood. Their color is very, very variable: the most common is green, but they can be pink or reddish, or have a white hat, … This will depend on the variety and / or hybrid.

During spring produces crimson flowersarising from a long, thin stem. They measure between 3 and 4 centimeters in diameter, and have, like the rest of the plant, a great ornamental value.

Unfortunately, it is a species vulnerable to extinction due to loss of habitat. But in cultivation it will be rare the day it is lost, because as we said before, it is one of the most appreciated plants, especially to make hybrids and clones. Among the most interesting that we find, for example, we have:

• Fast Ghost: with white leaves and yellow flowers. Its growth is somewhat slower than what one might expect, but otherwise it takes care of itself just like the rest.
• Tarnok: is a variety of S. leucophylla with green leaves whose upper part is white with red nerves.
• Titan: with reddish-green leaves with a white upper part and red veins. It can reach 97 centimeters in height.

What care should be given to the Sarracenia leucophylla?

If you dare to get a copy, we recommend that you provide it with the following care:

Location

It is a plant that has to be outside, in an area where the sun shines directly ideally throughout the day. In shadow or semi-shadow it would hardly grow, and it would soon weaken. For this reason, it is not a good idea to keep it indoors, unless you have a grow tent with a light for plants, or a room where it is very bright.

Earth

It is grown in plastic pots with holes in the base, filled with peat moss or sphagnum mixed with perlite in equal parts.. It is important that you moisten the substrate with distilled water before using it to fill the pot, as it takes a little time to hydrate, but once it is well hydrated, it stays that way for a long time.

Irrigation

Irrigation must be frequent. Remember that he lives in a wetland, near a river. Do not hesitate to put a plate under it or fill it with water every time you find it empty.

Now, it is extremely important that you use rainwater, or if you cannot get it, distilled, osmosis or even bottled waters with very weak mineralization (look at the label: the Dry Residue should not exceed 200).

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Do not fertilize carnivorous plants. They live in areas that are generally poor in nutrients; hence they have developed traps and jugs. Thanks to them, they hunt especially insects, which they feed on.

If they were fertilized, their roots would burn and the plants would be spoiled.

Multiplication

The Sarracenia leucophylla multiplies by seeds and division in spring.

Seeds

The seeds They must be sown in plastic pots with equal parts white peat mixed with perlite.and placed outside, in full sun. Thus, and keeping the substrate moist, they will germinate in about ten to fifteen days.

In the event that you want to get your own hybrids, you will have to get one first Sarracenia leucophylla and with another species of Sarracenia that you like, and then, when both are in flower, pollinate their flowers by passing a brush through the flowers of one and immediately afterwards through the flowers of the other.

Division

To divide it you have to remove it from the pot and remove the substrate from the roots. Do it carefully, washing them with distilled water. After, take a previously disinfected knife and divide the rhizome in two. Then plant them in individual pots with wet sphagnum moss and put them outside in full sun.

In a matter of a few days you will see the first new leaves sprout.

Transplant

Being a fast growing plant, which tends to take leaves on the sides, it must be transplanted every 2 years.

Rusticity

It resists cold and frost well up to -4ºC. In fact, it is necessary that in winter the temperature drops below 0 degrees so that it can hibernate properly.

What did you think of this plant?