Description
Sarracenia cv Ray is a new hybrid North American pitcher plant. Sarracenia cv Ray has a yellow/green pitcher which matures to dark red veins, with a dark red lid that opens up flat backwards
These Sarracenia or American Pitcher Plants look stunning with their various colours and sizes. We consider Sarracenia cv Ray to be easy to grow, frost hardy (care should be taken with young plants in containers), only requiring a location with direct sunshine and a saucer of rain water. They can be grown both in- and outdoors but benefit from colder winters. Indoors the pitchers will more likely be taller, as they will not be battered by wind and rain. Especially the Sarracenia Purpurea hybrids are well suited to outdoor conditions. They do require specific soil, garden soil is not suitable. An unheated greenhouse or conservatory is ideal for these plants, but they also do great in bog gardens and as pond marginals
How they feed:
Pitcher plants attract insects with their colour, and nectar produced around the mouth of the pitcher. In some the shape of the pitcher means the insect becomes wedged once they have fallen in. Other pitchers fill with water and the insect will drown. Both also have downward facing hairs inside the pitcher, making it even harder for the insect to get out. The plant produces an enzyme to digest the insects.
How to care for your plant:
- Full sunshine, in- or outdoors
- Rainwater only, sit in water (on a saucer)
- Feeding: If you are worried, and your plant is indoors, stick it outside on a sunny day and watch it go to work
Summer
- Full sunshine, in- or outdoors
- Rainwater only, sit in water (on a saucer) – the plants like to sit in a lot of water in summer
Winter
- We recommend a cool, airy, light area, between -10 °C to 10 °C .
- The plants will have a dormancy period. This can vary from going totally underground to browning of the leaves (remove). Pitcher Plants sometimes produce winter leaves (non-carnivorous)
- During the dormancy period, the main risk to the plant is rotting caused by fungal diseases. It is therefore important to reduce the watering, just keeping the plant damp, but not to let the plant dry out completely.
