Whether it’s their rare and exotic beauty or their ability to get rid of unwanted insect from the area, Sarracenia Leucophylla is a great plant to own. Trumpet Pitchers are a great beginner plant, as they’re tolerant of neglect and need little care to thrive. In this blog post we’ll cover how to care for trumpet pitchers (Sarracenia), what makes them unique, and what you can expect from your new plants!
If you’re seeing this name for the first time, then read up. Sarracenia Leucophylla plant is native to North America, mainly from the southeastern United States.
This unique and beautiful plant grows in wet savannas, sphagnum mat along streams, in red maple-blank gum swamps with sun openings and bogs.
Sarracenia leucophylla plant is also a plant with many names. It is also called Crimson pitcher plant. Moreover, other titles include white pitcher, Sarracenia Drummondii, and Trumpet-leaf. Sarracenia has incredible colors, which makes them look unique, and it’s leaf had an unusual shape, which makes them very exotic. They make an impressive garden plant when kept in a moist area of the garden. If you love growing unusual, Beautiful, colorful, and not to mention insect-eating plants. Then you will consider having sarracenia leucophylla plants.
Best Practices to Care for Sarracenia Leucophylla
For most plants, you have to apply fertilizer in other to feed them. But for sarracenia leucophylla, it’s a different story. That’s because Sarracenia feeds themselves. Pretty cool, huh! This plants can capture and digest insects, including some other small animals using their pitchers. If you are asking how do they do it, they don’t have legs to run after their prey.
Ask no more, for I will tell you. Its glands produce what is called Nectar, which is around the pitcher. The Nectar has a sweet smell which it uses to lure insects and small animals. They are lured into a down-pointing hairs line, which then impedes their escape. Enzymes in the plant help to dissolve the insects or small animals in the water, finally, the plant now digest the animals. It also provides nutrients for the plant. Isn’t that beautiful.
Best Practices to Care for Sarracenia Leucophylla
Unlike most plants, sarracenia leucophylla is not hard to grow. If you can continually provide it with the necessary things it requires to thrive, they are effortless to grow. If you look forward to getting the best of it, it’s best to emulate their growth conditions in the wild when developing them.
Here are some of the most suitable methods to care for Sarracenia leucophylla.
Trumpet Pitchers Light Requirement
It is essential that your sarracenia get up to five or more hours of direct sunlight every day. Like most plants, they need full sunlight, which is very important for their formation of pitchers. Not all temperature is suitable for sarracenia, the recommended temperature to grow them is between 5 – 15 °c during winter and 20 – 40 during summer. Is also essential to look out for floppy growth; this means that your plant is lacking enough sunlight. Unless during late fall through winter, during this period the plant goes dormant because less sunlight is need.
Trumpet Pitchers Watering
When it comes to taking care of Sarracenia leucophylla water is very important. Always remember to keep the soil wet and don’t let it dry. Also, escaping rain during periodic flooding helps to reduce the number of deposits that could become toxic to the plants. It’s essential to avoid the use of salty water, and sprinklers should also be avoided because they can break and damage the leaves.
Using Rainwater can be an excellent idea. When watering the Sarracenia Leucophylla is vital to use a soaker hose for a slow soaking method. If you like growing your Sarracenia Leucophylla plant in a pot, it’s essential to place in a saucer. And with about 2 cm of water, throughout the growing period. During winter, it necessary to allow a decrease in humidity, and be careful not to let the compost to harden which will make it dry out because of lack of water. Always remember to add extra ventilation and use fungicide for preventive treatment.
Trumpet Pitchers Soil
It is recommended to mix two or three sphagnum peat into one part of the sand. Also, avoid clay and fertile soil. But if you must use clay, sink it with containers in drainage and then fill it with sand mix and peat.
Here’s a guide to learn further in regards to Carnivorous plants soil recipes: Carnivorous Plant Soil Recipes
Don't feel like mixing your own carnivorous soils?
We recommend these options from Amazon for Pitcher Plants
Containers for Trumpet Pitchers
Using containers and plastics are one of the right ways to get the best out of Sarracenia Leucophylla plant. You can do this by using laundry tubs, plastic pots, or you can wad pools into the ground. When doing this, it essential to always drain the holes, you do that to discourage stagnant soil.
One of the benefits of using plastic containers when caring for your Sarracenia Leucophylla plant is that it helps to keep water in the pot. By doing so, it prevents soil from the surrounding, From pulling moistures from the plastic away.
Isn’t that fantastic? Alternatively, Bog gardens can also be used as long as there is a sunny spot. As long as there is a bright spot and it’s always wet, you can always add the sand mix to the planting hole before planting.
You may also read one of our articles to learn about the best pots to grow your Carnivorous plants: What Are the Best Pots to Grow Carnivorous Plants?
Feeding Trumpet Pitchers
When it comes to feeding, Sarracenia leucophylla is a unique plant. It doesn’t require fertilizer to feed. Just keep it outside, and sit back and watch the plant catch more than enough insects and small animals to feed themselves. But if you decide to keep them indoors, then you have to supply them with dried insects.
Trumpet Pitchers leaf cutting
If your Sarracenia is an outdoor plant, it will naturally lose some of it pitcher shaped leaves. When that happens, cut the pitcher shaped leaves away and let it die. New leaves typically form again from its Rosetta base.
What We Learned While Writing Best Practices to Care for Sarracenia Leucophylla
Sarracenia leucophylla are lovely plants for any garden. Although this plant is native to North America, it brings a rare and exotic look to your garden. Be it their amazing and unique flowers or their carnivorous leaves which they use to feed. Sarracenia is with no doubt, a magical and beautiful plant. The above are some of the best practices to care for sarracenia leucophylla.
