Sarracenia purpurea (venosa) can grow year round without dormany?

[Wolfn]

http://www.sarracenia.com/faq/faq5552.html

Winter treatment: Sarracenia expect spring, summer, fall, and winter seasons. During the spring, they flower. During the summer, they produce their first pitchers early in the season. During the fall, they just sit there; some species make modified, nontrapping leaves during this season. During the winter, the remains of the summer leaves slowly die back. I think winter rest is signalled by cooler temperatures and/or decreased photoperiod/intensities, but I do not really know. You can take advantage of this slow season by trimming the leaves back as they die. Only trim off the dead stuff---never cut into living tissue. Sarracenia oreophila, S. jonesii, and S. purpurea subsp. purpurea expect cold weather and even frosts during the winter. If you keep your plants on a seasonal schedule, they will usually flower for you each spring. This means they are happy!

Indoor growers have their own challenges with Sarracenia. Sarracenia rosea and S. purpurea subsp. venosa do well in terraria year-round without a winter treatment. However, giving them one will encourage normal annual-rhythmic behaviour such as flowering

 

[Chaddycakez]

I don't know much about indoor growing but skipping dormancy on a plant that requires it doesn't sound so wise. The point of dormancy is for the plant to reserve energy for the incoming spring, if you take that away you will gradually weaken your plant.

Excluding Tropicals of course.

 

[upper]

if barry rice wrote that, its probably right.
and to Chaddycakez, if that's true for all plant, how about those tropical? nepenthes got dormancy too?

 

[obregon562]

Nepenthes are not adapted to a winter dormancy, and as such, have no need for a resting period.

I would not advise it for a rare or treasured plant, but if you feel "wild and crazy", knock yourself out. Maybe you'll stumble onto something.

 

[Wolfn]

Okay, I'm going to order a Sarracenia Purpurea ssp Venosa (probably tomorrow night).

Is it possible if I can grow it on my windowsill inside year-round? I currently grow a Cephalotus and Pinguicula Primuiflora on my windowsill and they appear happy (well, my Cephalotus got a little dry, so I put a humidity dome over it).

Anywho, would a Sarracenia Purpurea ssp Venosa be happy here? If not, I could always grow it on my porch outside.

 

[Grey Moss]

I'd think to keep it growing year round you'd need powerful lights. A decrease in light on the window might be enough to cause dormancy in the winter.

 

[Adam]

i was going to ask this when i got my terrarium, ,if rosea and psittacina can grow year round. Ill have to get a purpurea venosa from lowes when it's setup! and next year i may divide my oreophila, see if it will do well in pots up here. I have a purpurea purpurea i will leave out in winter.

 

[Ant]

I'd think to keep it growing year round you'd need powerful lights. A decrease in light on the window might be enough to cause dormancy in the winter.

I agree, I had my S. purpurea ssp. venosa go dormant in my house at 66 degrees just because of the solar cycle.

 

[petmantis]

I do know for one thing that all Sarracenia seedlings can be kept in a terrarium under lights for 2 years, meaning skipping one dormant period.

However, to keep it healthy, I would also suggest lots of lighting during winter time. Otherwise, like Mr Truncata said, there's a chance it'll go dormant.

 

[Zero]

Can you just put it outside in the sun?
You will need extra lighting unless you get full sun in that window for most of the day.

 

[Wolfn]

Can you just put it outside in the sun?
You will need extra lighting unless you get full sun in that window for most of the day.

Sarracenia Purpurea can actually be grown in bright-shade/partially sunny conditions. It won't grow quite as red as those grown in full sun, but it will still grow.

 

[DrWurm]

All the shorter, prostrate species can be grown under lights. It makes sense since by being shorter, they naturally receive less light anyway. I have seen very healthy purps cultivated with this method.

Jason

 

[Not a Number]

Jason has seen Ivan Snyder's and Laura O'Neal's S. purpurea and DIonaea (and taken quite a few photographs) that they bring to the LACPS meetings. They grow their plants under lights. Jason has even seen Laura's growing setup, although her growracks are in front of a window the plants receive little if any direct sunlight. Outrageous amounts of light is not needed. 4 Foot T12/T8 fixtures is all that is needed. When Ivan writes to me that he prefers S. purpurea that grow short flower scapes that fit under his lights how do you suppose he is growing them?

Look at this video of the Boiling Lakes savanna in North Carolina. See all the grass growing over the S. purpurea ssp venosa (time mark ~15:30):
http://www.myoutdoortv.com/video/video.php?v=ml7czy9imKZPWbOggEnzt6EHUtqG_ey0

 

[Aslam]

The Roseas live almost in the tropical zone, same with the southernmost purps. I think I read about S. Psittacinas not needing a dormancy either on a research station's / CP nursery's website, but the name is top secret, ya know? Saying all S. Purpurea ssp. Venosa don't need dormancy is different than saying the Purps, Roseas, and Psitts in almost tropical FL. Of course, even if Barry Rice said that, he's also the one that stated the 'Golden Rules' in his book, which state (in context) "A plant's happiest the closer you can imitate its natural environment, since usually deviations from it's environment put extra stress on the plant, which could kill it." So the FL Purps would probably benefit more from a dormancy than w/out one. As another point, if they could grow well in little/no dormancy, how come it doesn't grow farther south, like nearer South FL? Just a thought. But hey, if you feel like experimenting, it's always worth the risk, since I might be wrong!

Happy growing!
Aslan

 

[SpyCspider]

My Purp Venosas (Lowes) have been happily growing in an open terrarium for almost 2 years now under regular 23 watt compact fluorescents held about 4 inches away. It just sent up another flower stalk (~5 inches tall) this past month and new pitchers are forming. No signs of slowing down any time soon.

I do want to give them dormancy, but terrarium growing means I'd have to dig them out, etc and I got subtropical sundews in there with them.

 

[jimscott]

FWIW, I put my S. psitticina through a dormancy and this year it produced a flower.