New Releases!

This new release for 2024 is highly anticipated by everyone at CalCarn! Pinguicula x “Twilight Sparkle” is an absolutely stunning new cyclosecta hybrid! These plants were so purple in our tissue culture lab jars that Damon couldn’t wait to see them grow out! Long, ridiculously dew-covered leaves emerge from an eggplant purple crown of tight leaves. Each leaf glows a soft purple, with the edges deepening in color. Grow it under strong light to encourage that deep purple color!

These are long, straight-leaved plants that are delicate and about the size of a quarter; we don’t expect them to grow much more than three inches across at the absolute maximum, so expect them to be on the smaller side.

The plants we are shipping are about the size of a quarter and will be 2-4” at full growth. These plants often stay in winter succulent stage well into summer so you may receive one with only a few carnivorous leaves or even fully succulent well into the year! PLEASE NOTE WINTER SUCCULENT ROSETTES ARE DARK PURPLE!

This plant will not come potted; you will need to pot it up upon arrival. Mexican/Tropical Pinguicula prefer our sandy PINGUICULA SOIL MIX.

IF YOU ORDER IN WINTER/EARLY SPRING YOUR PLANT MAY ARRIVE IN WINTER SUCCULENT MODE. DURING THIS TIME, IT WILL GROW SUBSTANTIALLY SMALLER, TIGHT, SUCCULENT LEAVES. DO NOT OVER WATER DURING THIS TIME. IT WILL GROW CARNIVOROUS LEAVES IN THE SPRING.

Care Instructions

Growth Habit: Pinguicula are generally small plants; depending on the species and growth phase, they can range from 1/2” to 8” across at maturity. Most are 2-4” across. They form rosettes of leaves covered in glistening dew, which have a high turnover rate, meaning that they die back frequently, and new leaves grow at the center from the plant. They have pretty leaves, some blush red or purple, and all are covered in sparkling dew. Their flowers are hummingbird and butterfly pollinated in the wild and because their pollinators are attracted to colorful flowers, they have beautiful flowers With long neck spurs! Many species will experience a winter succulent phase. A combination of shorter photo periods, cooler temperatures, and dryer conditions trigger this phase. While this phase is not necessary for the plant to thrive, it is often out of our control whether the plants do this or not. During their succulent phase, they grow small, rounded leaves that look very different from their large carnivorous leaves. Plants in this stage will be significantly smaller than they will be in carnivorous growth. The natural cycle of Pinguicula can lead them to be in succulent growth in spring, not starting their carnivorous growth until late spring sometimes even early summer. Watching them grow their carnivorous leaves is like watching a magic trick; tiny, tight leaves begin to transform into huge, sticky, carnivorous leaves! Pinguicula can easily propagate from leaf pullings, like a succulent. They will also form small clumps over time, dividing naturally. While they can have a long life, they won’t live forever, so it is a good idea to take pullings every year. They do not have significant root systems, and the roots they have are often minimal and very short. The roots can be white, transparent, or brown, and they use these roots mainly to anchor themselves to the soil's surface (they still offer benefits, though, so please do not cut them off). 

Sun: Full to part sun. Sunny windowsills indoors, in a temperature-regulated greenhouse, or under grow lights. In tropical parts of the world or very mild climates, they can be grown outdoors in dappled sun, morning sun only, or under shade cloth. They must be protected from the full afternoon sun. It is best to grow under 30% shade cloth in the summer months when grown in a greenhouse. They can benefit from 30% shade cloth if grown outdoors as well. If your plant is much greener than it should be, developing larger, more elongated leaves than normal for the species or hybrid, and does not have much dew, it may need more light. 

Water & Humidity: In the late spring, summer, and early autumn, Pinguicula can be kept in the tray system with overhead watering as long as they still have carnivorous foliage. This means setting the pots in a deep saucer or tray and routinely filling that with 1/4”-1/2” water. If grown in a non-draining pot, allow room to water and water overhead frequently to keep soil media moist, but do not water so deeply as to have standing water sitting on the surface of the soil; all the water should be absorbed. When the rosettes show their very first signs of growing their smaller, tighter succulent leaves immediately begin to dry out your plants. Keep the soil on the dry side, watering them only a little and let dry out in between watering. You can usually tell how dry a species enjoys its winter by the size of its succulent leaves. The tighter, smaller leafed rosettes such a Pinguicula gypsicola or the bulb-like heterophylla and macrophylla require bone-dry conditions. Species with larger winter leaves, like a few of the moranensis varieties or agnata, enjoy winters soils just slightly damp.  Cuban species should be kept wet year-round, with only slight winter drying. When these plants are transitioning between carnivorous and succulent growth they are at the most risk of rotting, so it is better to air on the side of drier when the temperatures start to get colder and the photo periods shorten. In spring, as soon as the temperatures start to warm and the photo periods lengthen, start watering your plants more. When carnivorous leaves start to grow, begin the tray method again. (If your plant decides it does not want to make carnivorous leaves, don’t worry, sometimes they are stubborn! Water frequently and make sure your plant gets lots of light, preferably some natural light from the sun as well, to try to trigger carnivorous leaf growth. But don’t worry if your ping stays in succulent mode for a whole year, eventually it will grow carnivorous leaves again!) Pinguicula are extremely susceptible to dissolved minerals and salts in their water and poor water quality will directly contribute to decline of plants and death. Be sure to only use rainwater, reverse osmosis water, or distilled water. Pinguicula prefer drier conditions and do not require high humidity.

Temperature: 50 degrees - 90 degrees. While not ideal, Pinguicula can tolerate brief nighttime dips to 40 as long as daytime temperatures warm back up and can tolerate brief heat waves over 90 as long as they are protected from the sun and sitting in water AND nighttime temperatures decrease. Cold temperatures are likely to kill Pinguicula, so avoid exposing them to anything below 50 if possible.

Dormancy: No true dormancy but does have a winter succulent phase during which the plant will produce small succulent leaves instead of flat sticky leaves. Pinguicula do not need this period of succulent growth to grow well. If your plant does not grow succulent leaves, there is no need to try to induce the transition. See the section on watering for in depth care during this time. 

Fertilizer: Apply Schultz Cactus Fertilizer once or twice a month to the leaves with a mister bottle, during the grow season. Do not apply in winter or during succulent winter mode. We use seven drops of fertilizer in 20 ounces of distilled water. 

Soil & Repotting: Pinguicula grow in very dry and rocky soil mixes, do not use a mix that holds a lot of moisture. We use equal parts sand, peat moss, pumice, and perlite. You can order our custom Pinguicula soil mix! These plants ship bare-root so you will have to order potting media and pot them up upon arrival. Pinguicula do not have extensive roots and anchor to the surface of their soil making them ideal candidates for quirky, cute, small, non-draining planters like teacups or vintage pottery. You can plant them in all variety of pots as long as they are glazed ceramic, glazed terracotta, glass or plastic. Avoid un-glazed terracotta. They can be in small pots and do not need much room for roots. Pinguicula are one of the most sensitive plants to a build of minerals and salts in their soil or water. Repot every year to refresh soil.

More Information: For more information on repotting, pests, growing habits, and more, check out our FAQ page or our YouTube channel!

Sarracenia purpurea ssp. venosa are always show stopping plants; deeply colorful with large, gently undulating pitchers and forming large rosettes in their pots.

These are seed grown.

Sarracenia purpurea benefits from overhead watering so as to fill its pitchers with water. It also doesn’t lose its pitchers to winter dormancy as much as other Sarracenia species. 

DORMANT SEASONALLY, STARTING AS EARLY AS OCTOBER AND LASTING AS LATE AS MARCH, DEPENDING ON THE CONDITIONS AND SPECIES/HYBRID. The pitchers turn brown and die back to the rhizome, or non-carnivorous leaves (phyllodia) grow during this time. Please see the final photo to see how Sarracenia look when dormant. They will begin to grow vigorously again in Spring when photoperiods lengthen and temperatures increase.

Care Instructions:

Growth Habit: Sarracenia primarily grow along the Southeastern coastal plain of the United States. They grow pitchers, which are modified leaves, seasonally that can vary in height, color, and size depending on the species or hybrid. The pitchers can die back during the growing season, but new pitchers will grow throughout the spring and summer. The pitchers start to grow in spring, and many grow as the year progresses; in summer, they will be at their best. In summer, you may see brown or black on your pitchers, which can be normal nectar burn or crisping from heat. As Fall comes on, the pitchers may start to die back, turning brown, and by winter, many or all of the pitchers are brown, but the rhizome remains healthy and intact throughout winter dormancy even if you cannot see anything growing. Sarracenia have brown, black, or white roots and do not generally have many of them. The rhizome can be brown and still be healthy.

Sun: Full sun. Sarracenia require lots of direct sun to grow and form pitchers properly. In many areas, they can be grown outdoors in full sun. If you live in a very hot AND very dry place like Arizona or Sacramento, for example, you will want to grow your plants in full morning sun with protection from the afternoon sun or under 30% shade cloth. It is common for several pitchers to "burn" and die back when you first place your plant into the sun; your plant is acclimating to your conditions, and in most cases, new leaves will soon grow and be fully acclimated. Sarracenia can be grown indoors on extremely sunny windowsills that receive all-day sun, but they will require a grow light in most circumstances due to the amount of light the plant needs. Grow lights should be 6-12” from the plant, depending on the light, and on a 10-12 hour day length. Sarracenia generally are not a good candidate for a terrarium as they need intense light and get quite tall. Shorter species like Sarracenia purpurea will do better in a terrarium. Grow outdoors if possible for best results.

Water: Always keep them in a saucer with a few inches of distilled, rainwater, or reverse osmosis water. Never let them dry out, especially in the hot summer months. Sarracenia are bog plants that prefer water-logged conditions unless you live somewhere both very hot AND extremely humid, like Alabama. In that case, let the water tray dry out for a day or two between refills. Always use distilled, reverse osmosis, or rainwater only. These plants are sensitive to their water quality, and giving them mineral and salt-free water is very important. In winter, when the plants are dormant, you can let them dry out a bit between rain storms, but do not let the soil get so dry that it pulls away from the edges of the pots. Be sure to supplement water as needed in between rains in winter.

Temperature and Dormancy: These are warm-temperate plants, meaning they need warm summers and chilly winters. They should be grown outdoors year-round in areas with mild winters. They thrive in temperatures ranging from 20 degrees - 100F degrees and can take a brief freeze or high-temperature spike up to 105F degrees for a short period. If nighttime temps drop below 20 but rise again during the day above 40, your plant will be fine outside.

If you live in an area with very cold winters, where nighttime temperatures drop below 20 degrees for sustained periods, you have three options for providing them with winter dormancy: the garage method, mulching in, or the fridge method. Dormancy is triggered by a combination of exposure to shorter photo-periods and cooler temperatures in the 40-60's F. While you can skip a dormancy period once or twice, in the long term, your plant will begin to do poorly and will eventually die if you skip this crucial period.

The garage method: Bring your plant indoors to a sunny windowsill in an unheated room or garage, where the nighttime temperatures will dip down to 50-60F. Keep it well watered during this period, do not let it dry out, and put it outside again when the outside nighttime temperatures increase consistently above 20F.

The mulch method: Mulch them in very, very well outdoors. Pack at least four inches of mulch on top of the plants and all around the sides to prevent winds from chilling them and freezing the roots. You can also dig the pots into the ground and then mulch heavily on top.

The fridge method: remove the plants from pots, gently clean the roots of soil, wrap the roots in a bit of damp long-fibered New Zealand sphagnum moss, place the plants in a resealable bag, and put the bag into the refrigerator. Leave them in the fridge from October to February, periodically checking on them to ensure they are still moist and not growing mold or fungus. Pot them back up in February. You can vary the timing to align with your outside nighttime temperatures so that your plants can come out of dormancy when it is safe to place them back outside. You can leave them in the fridge for an extended period if you have very long winters.

Soil and Repotting: We prefer a mix of four-part fertilizer-free peat moss to one-part perlite. You can add our pre-made mix to your order here. You do not need to repot your plant when you receive it from us for at least a year, and we recommend against it during the spring-summer months. Repot Sarracenia every 1-3 years in winter when they are dormant. Avoid placing in excessively large pots; size up only a few inches at a time. They do well in tall pots. Soil can also develop a swampy smell, especially right after shipping, when the plant is wrapped in plastic and sealed. This is normal; these plants grow naturally in bogs and swampy conditions, and peat moss can develop a bit of an anaerobic smell, but this does not indicate a problem with the soil. 

Feeding and Fertilizer: Sarracenia will catch plenty of food when grown outdoors. When grown indoors, they will significantly benefit from fertilizing, both a foliar fertilizer and feeding the pitchers. Plants grown outdoors will appreciate a foliar feed as well. Apply MaxSea fertilizer once per month to the foliage only. Dilute 1/4 teaspoon of MaxSea into one gallon of water and then apply to the pitchers, and inside the pitchers, with a mister bottle or a watering can. Osmocote slow-release flower and vegetable pellets can be dropped into the pitchers with a bit of distilled water. Pellets can burn the sides of the pitchers where they come to rest; that is normal.

More Information: For further information on dormancy, repotting, dividing, and more, check out our website or our YouTube channel.

This is probably the most spectacular Pinguicula to come out of the California Carnivores breeding program! Move over cyclosecta because Mim is wickedly purple! We knew we had a winner with this one early on when it was even turning purple in the tissue culture jars in our lab under low light. Everyone here was blown away once we moved them under our grow lights! There has never been a Pinguicula this purple!

The flowers are a fantastic, deep grape-purple, and the leaves flare back and down with rolled edges. The shining star of any Pinguicula collection is “Mad Madam Mim.” Grow them under a strong light to really see the depths of just how purple they can get! 

The plants we are shipping are about the size of a quarter and will be 2-3” at full growth. 

This plant will not come potted; you will need to pot it up upon arrival. Mexican/Tropical Pinguicula prefer our sandy PINGUICULA SOIL MIX.

IF YOU ORDER IN WINTER/EARLY SPRING YOUR PLANT MAY ARRIVE IN WINTER SUCCULENT MODE. DURING THIS TIME, IT WILL GROW SUBSTANTIALLY SMALLER, TIGHT, SUCCULENT LEAVES. DO NOT OVER WATER DURING THIS TIME. IT WILL GROW CARNIVOROUS LEAVES IN THE SPRING.

Care Instructions

Growth Habit: Pinguicula are generally small plants; depending on the species and growth phase, they can range from 1/2” to 8” across at maturity. Most are 2-4” across. They form rosettes of leaves covered in glistening dew, which have a high turnover rate, meaning that they die back frequently, and new leaves grow at the center from the plant. They have pretty leaves, some blush red or purple, and all are covered in sparkling dew. Their flowers are hummingbird and butterfly pollinated in the wild and because their pollinators are attracted to colorful flowers, they have beautiful flowers With long neck spurs! Many species will experience a winter succulent phase. A combination of shorter photo periods, cooler temperatures, and dryer conditions trigger this phase. While this phase is not necessary for the plant to thrive, it is often out of our control whether the plants do this or not. During their succulent phase, they grow small, rounded leaves that look very different from their large carnivorous leaves. Plants in this stage will be significantly smaller than they will be in carnivorous growth. The natural cycle of Pinguicula can lead them to be in succulent growth in spring, not starting their carnivorous growth until late spring sometimes even early summer. Watching them grow their carnivorous leaves is like watching a magic trick; tiny, tight leaves begin to transform into huge, sticky, carnivorous leaves! Pinguicula can easily propagate from leaf pullings, like a succulent. They will also form small clumps over time, dividing naturally. While they can have a long life, they won’t live forever, so it is a good idea to take pullings every year. They do not have significant root systems, and the roots they have are often minimal and very short. The roots can be white, transparent, or brown, and they use these roots mainly to anchor themselves to the soil's surface (they still offer benefits, though, so please do not cut them off). 

Sun: Full to part sun. Sunny windowsills indoors, in a temperature-regulated greenhouse, or under grow lights. In tropical parts of the world or very mild climates, they can be grown outdoors in dappled sun, morning sun only, or under shade cloth. They must be protected from the full afternoon sun. It is best to grow under 30% shade cloth in the summer months when grown in a greenhouse. They can benefit from 30% shade cloth if grown outdoors as well. If your plant is much greener than it should be, developing larger, more elongated leaves than normal for the species or hybrid, and does not have much dew, it may need more light. 

Water & Humidity: In the late spring, summer, and early autumn, Pinguicula can be kept in the tray system with overhead watering as long as they still have carnivorous foliage. This means setting the pots in a deep saucer or tray and routinely filling that with 1/4”-1/2” water. If grown in a non-draining pot, allow room to water and water overhead frequently to keep soil media moist, but do not water so deeply as to have standing water sitting on the surface of the soil; all the water should be absorbed. When the rosettes show their very first signs of growing their smaller, tighter succulent leaves immediately begin to dry out your plants. Keep the soil on the dry side, watering them only a little and let dry out in between watering. You can usually tell how dry a species enjoys its winter by the size of its succulent leaves. The tighter, smaller leafed rosettes such a Pinguicula gypsicola or the bulb-like heterophylla and macrophylla require bone-dry conditions. Species with larger winter leaves, like a few of the moranensis varieties or agnata, enjoy winters soils just slightly damp.  Cuban species should be kept wet year-round, with only slight winter drying. When these plants are transitioning between carnivorous and succulent growth they are at the most risk of rotting, so it is better to air on the side of drier when the temperatures start to get colder and the photo periods shorten. In spring, as soon as the temperatures start to warm and the photo periods lengthen, start watering your plants more. When carnivorous leaves start to grow, begin the tray method again. (If your plant decides it does not want to make carnivorous leaves, don’t worry, sometimes they are stubborn! Water frequently and make sure your plant gets lots of light, preferably some natural light from the sun as well, to try to trigger carnivorous leaf growth. But don’t worry if your ping stays in succulent mode for a whole year, eventually it will grow carnivorous leaves again!) Pinguicula are extremely susceptible to dissolved minerals and salts in their water and poor water quality will directly contribute to decline of plants and death. Be sure to only use rainwater, reverse osmosis water, or distilled water. Pinguicula prefer drier conditions and do not require high humidity.

Temperature: 50 degrees - 90 degrees. While not ideal, Pinguicula can tolerate brief nighttime dips to 40 as long as daytime temperatures warm back up and can tolerate brief heat waves over 90 as long as they are protected from the sun and sitting in water AND nighttime temperatures decrease. Cold temperatures are likely to kill Pinguicula, so avoid exposing them to anything below 50 if possible.

Dormancy: No true dormancy but does have a winter succulent phase during which the plant will produce small succulent leaves instead of flat sticky leaves. Pinguicula do not need this period of succulent growth to grow well. If your plant does not grow succulent leaves, there is no need to try to induce the transition. See the section on watering for in depth care during this time. 

Fertilizer: Apply Schultz Cactus Fertilizer once or twice a month to the leaves with a mister bottle, during the grow season. Do not apply in winter or during succulent winter mode. We use seven drops of fertilizer in 20 ounces of distilled water. 

Soil & Repotting: Pinguicula grow in very dry and rocky soil mixes, do not use a mix that holds a lot of moisture. We use equal parts sand, peat moss, pumice, and perlite. You can order our custom Pinguicula soil mix! These plants ship bare-root so you will have to order potting media and pot them up upon arrival. Pinguicula do not have extensive roots and anchor to the surface of their soil making them ideal candidates for quirky, cute, small, non-draining planters like teacups or vintage pottery. You can plant them in all variety of pots as long as they are glazed ceramic, glazed terracotta, glass or plastic. Avoid un-glazed terracotta. They can be in small pots and do not need much room for roots. Pinguicula are one of the most sensitive plants to a build of minerals and salts in their soil or water. Repot every year to refresh soil.

More Information: For more information on repotting, pests, growing habits, and more, check out our FAQ page or our YouTube channel!

Sarracenia purpurea ssp. venosa var. montana is the exceptionally beautiful mountain form of purpurea ssp venosa! Its intricately venated pitchers have a pinched hood at the top, like a little witches hat! We’re so excited to have these because they’re so hard to find and almost never offered in the US! 

Sarracenia purpurea benefits from overhead watering so as to fill its pitchers with water. It also doesn’t lose its pitchers to winter dormancy as much as other Sarracenia species. 

These are tissue culture and are small sized plants that will quickly grow next spring to a larger size! 

DORMANT SEASONALLY, STARTING AS EARLY AS OCTOBER AND LASTING AS LATE AS MARCH, DEPENDING ON THE CONDITIONS AND SPECIES/HYBRID. The pitchers turn brown and die back to the rhizome, or non-carnivorous leaves (phyllodia) grow during this time. Please see the final photo to see how Sarracenia look when dormant. They will begin to grow vigorously again in Spring when photoperiods lengthen and temperatures increase.

Care Instructions:

Growth Habit: Sarracenia primarily grow along the Southeastern coastal plain of the United States. They grow pitchers, which are modified leaves, seasonally that can vary in height, color, and size depending on the species or hybrid. The pitchers can die back during the growing season, but new pitchers will grow throughout the spring and summer. The pitchers start to grow in spring, and many grow as the year progresses; in summer, they will be at their best. In summer, you may see brown or black on your pitchers, which can be normal nectar burn or crisping from heat. As Fall comes on, the pitchers may start to die back, turning brown, and by winter, many or all of the pitchers are brown, but the rhizome remains healthy and intact throughout winter dormancy even if you cannot see anything growing. Sarracenia have brown, black, or white roots and do not generally have many of them. The rhizome can be brown and still be healthy.

Sun: Full sun. Sarracenia require lots of direct sun to grow and form pitchers properly. In many areas, they can be grown outdoors in full sun. If you live in a very hot AND very dry place like Arizona or Sacramento, for example, you will want to grow your plants in full morning sun with protection from the afternoon sun or under 30% shade cloth. It is common for several pitchers to "burn" and die back when you first place your plant into the sun; your plant is acclimating to your conditions, and in most cases, new leaves will soon grow and be fully acclimated. Sarracenia can be grown indoors on extremely sunny windowsills that receive all-day sun, but they will require a grow light in most circumstances due to the amount of light the plant needs. Grow lights should be 6-12” from the plant, depending on the light, and on a 10-12 hour day length. Sarracenia generally are not a good candidate for a terrarium as they need intense light and get quite tall. Shorter species like Sarracenia purpurea will do better in a terrarium. Grow outdoors if possible for best results.

Water: Always keep them in a saucer with a few inches of distilled, rainwater, or reverse osmosis water. Never let them dry out, especially in the hot summer months. Sarracenia are bog plants that prefer water-logged conditions unless you live somewhere both very hot AND extremely humid, like Alabama. In that case, let the water tray dry out for a day or two between refills. Always use distilled, reverse osmosis, or rainwater only. These plants are sensitive to their water quality, and giving them mineral and salt-free water is very important. In winter, when the plants are dormant, you can let them dry out a bit between rain storms, but do not let the soil get so dry that it pulls away from the edges of the pots. Be sure to supplement water as needed in between rains in winter.

Temperature and Dormancy: These are warm-temperate plants, meaning they need warm summers and chilly winters. They should be grown outdoors year-round in areas with mild winters. They thrive in temperatures ranging from 20 degrees - 100F degrees and can take a brief freeze or high-temperature spike up to 105F degrees for a short period. If nighttime temps drop below 20 but rise again during the day above 40, your plant will be fine outside.

If you live in an area with very cold winters, where nighttime temperatures drop below 20 degrees for sustained periods, you have three options for providing them with winter dormancy: the garage method, mulching in, or the fridge method. Dormancy is triggered by a combination of exposure to shorter photo-periods and cooler temperatures in the 40-60's F. While you can skip a dormancy period once or twice, in the long term, your plant will begin to do poorly and will eventually die if you skip this crucial period.

The garage method: Bring your plant indoors to a sunny windowsill in an unheated room or garage, where the nighttime temperatures will dip down to 50-60F. Keep it well watered during this period, do not let it dry out, and put it outside again when the outside nighttime temperatures increase consistently above 20F.

The mulch method: Mulch them in very, very well outdoors. Pack at least four inches of mulch on top of the plants and all around the sides to prevent winds from chilling them and freezing the roots. You can also dig the pots into the ground and then mulch heavily on top.

The fridge method: remove the plants from pots, gently clean the roots of soil, wrap the roots in a bit of damp long-fibered New Zealand sphagnum moss, place the plants in a resealable bag, and put the bag into the refrigerator. Leave them in the fridge from October to February, periodically checking on them to ensure they are still moist and not growing mold or fungus. Pot them back up in February. You can vary the timing to align with your outside nighttime temperatures so that your plants can come out of dormancy when it is safe to place them back outside. You can leave them in the fridge for an extended period if you have very long winters.

Soil and Repotting: We prefer a mix of four-part fertilizer-free peat moss to one-part perlite. You can add our pre-made mix to your order here. You do not need to repot your plant when you receive it from us for at least a year, and we recommend against it during the spring-summer months. Repot Sarracenia every 1-3 years in winter when they are dormant. Avoid placing in excessively large pots; size up only a few inches at a time. They do well in tall pots. Soil can also develop a swampy smell, especially right after shipping, when the plant is wrapped in plastic and sealed. This is normal; these plants grow naturally in bogs and swampy conditions, and peat moss can develop a bit of an anaerobic smell, but this does not indicate a problem with the soil. 

Feeding and Fertilizer: Sarracenia will catch plenty of food when grown outdoors. When grown indoors, they will significantly benefit from fertilizing, both a foliar fertilizer and feeding the pitchers. Plants grown outdoors will appreciate a foliar feed as well. Apply MaxSea fertilizer once per month to the foliage only. Dilute 1/4 teaspoon of MaxSea into one gallon of water and then apply to the pitchers, and inside the pitchers, with a mister bottle or a watering can. Osmocote slow-release flower and vegetable pellets can be dropped into the pitchers with a bit of distilled water. Pellets can burn the sides of the pitchers where they come to rest; that is normal.

More Information: For further information on dormancy, repotting, dividing, and more, check out our website or our YouTube channel.

Dionaea m. “Witchy Baby” is one of the most exciting CalCarn Venus flytrap cultivars we’ve ever released! This is the biggest Venus flytrap in our collection, with huge traps on long, thin arching petioles. The red traps have white-tipped cilia and a delicate arch. Every year, this plant pushes the limit of what size we think is possible! With two-inch traps on mature plants, this is the biggest, most beautiful Venus flytrap Damon has made yet! “Witchy Baby” is also slow to go dormant so you can enjoy this exuberant plant for a little longer!

We’ve named this plant “Witchy Baby” in honor of Damon’s nephew Finn, who coined the name for himself when he was little. (Finn is our office manager, Alison’s, youngest son!) Full of energy, laughter, and just the right amount of mischief, Finn “Witchy Baby” Tardif was the perfect person to honor with this excellent plant! 

These plants are not in tissue culture and are extremely limited in availability. We are shipping small plants. The second-to-last photo shows their size. These small plants will grow rapidly in summer!

PLEASE NOTE VENUS FLYTRAPS GO DORMANT SEASONALLY, STARTING AS EARLY AS OCTOBER AND LASTING AS LATE AS MARCH, DEPENDING ON THE CONDITIONS. During this time, they appear relatively small and grow a few traps; please see the final photo to see how flytraps look when dormant. They will begin to grow vigorously again in Spring when photoperiods lengthen and temperatures increase.

Care Instructions:

Growth Habit: Venus flytraps are low-growing bog plants native to North and South Carolina. These plants grow their traps, modified leaves, from a rhizome that spreads over time. The traps will die back frequently all year, have high leaf turnover, and many new traps will grow throughout the spring and summer. In spring, the traps grow, often low to the ground and small. In summer, they grow their best traps, taller and more prominent. As Fall comes on, the traps start to die back, growing lower to the ground and smaller, and by winter, the plant will be dormant, with many or all of the traps gone, but the rhizome remains healthy and intact throughout winter dormancy even if you cannot see any traps growing. Venus flytraps have black roots, and not generally not many of them.

Sun: Full sun. Venus flytraps require lots of direct sun to grow and produce traps. In many areas, they can be grown outdoors in full sun. If you live in a very hot AND very dry place like Arizona or Sacramento, for example, you will want to grow your plants in full morning sun with protection from the afternoon sun or under 30% shade cloth. It is common for several traps/leaves to "burn" and die back when you first place your plant into the sun; your plant is acclimating to your conditions, and in most cases, new leaves will soon grow and be fully acclimated. Venus flytraps can be grown indoors, on extremely sunny windowsills, that receive all-day sun, but they will require a grow light in most circumstances due to the amount of light the plant needs. Grow lights should be 6-12” from the plant, depending on the light, and on a 10-12 hour day length. Venus flytraps generally are not a good candidate for a terrarium as they need intense light and good airflow. Grow outdoors if possible for best results.

Water: Always keep them in a saucer with a few inches of distilled, rainwater, or reverse osmosis water. Never let them dry out, especially in the hot summer months. Venus flytraps are bog plants that prefer water-logged conditions unless you live somewhere both very hot AND extremely humid, like Alabama. In that case, let the water tray dry out for a day or two between refills. Always use distilled, reverse osmosis, or rainwater only. These plants are especially sensitive to their water quality, and giving them mineral and salt-free water is very important. In winter, when the plants are dormant, you can let them dry out a bit between rain storms, but do not let the soil get so dry that it pulls away from the edges of the pots. Be sure to supplement water as needed in between rains in winter.

Temperature and Dormancy: These are warm-temperate plants, meaning they need warm summers and chilly winters. They should be grown outdoors year-round in areas with mild winters. They thrive in temperatures ranging from 20 degrees - 90F degrees and can take a brief freeze or high-temperature spike up to 105F degrees for a short period. If nighttime temps drop below 20 but rise again during the day above 40, your plant will be fine outside.

If you live in an area with very cold winters, where nighttime temperatures drop below 20 degrees for sustained periods, you have three options for providing them with winter dormancy: the garage method, mulching in, or the fridge method. Dormancy is triggered by a combination of exposure to shorter photo-periods and cooler temperatures in the 40-60's F. While you can skip a dormancy period once or twice, in the long term, your plant will begin to do poorly and will eventually die if you skip this crucial period.

The garage method: Bring your plant indoors to a sunny windowsill in an unheated room or garage, where the nighttime temperatures will dip down to 50-60F. Keep it well watered during this period, do not let it dry out, and put it outside again when the outside nighttime temperatures increase consistently above 20F.

The mulch method: Mulch them in very, very well outdoors. Pack at least four inches of mulch on top of the plants and all around the sides to prevent winds from chilling them and freezing the roots. You can also dig the pots into the ground and then mulch heavily on top.

The fridge method: remove the plants from pots, gently clean the roots of soil, wrap the roots in a bit of damp long-fibered New Zealand sphagnum moss, place the plants in a resealable bag, and put the bag into the refrigerator. Leave them in the fridge from October to February, periodically checking on them to ensure they are still moist and not growing mold or fungus. Pot them back up in February. You can vary the timing to align with your outside nighttime temperatures so that your plants can come out of dormancy when it is safe to place them back outside. You can leave them in the fridge for an extended period if you have very long winters.

Soil and Repotting: We prefer a mix of four-part fertilizer-free peat moss to one-part perlite. You can add our pre-made mix to your order here. You do not need to repot your plant when you receive it from us for at least a year, and we recommend against it during the spring-summer months. Repot Venus flytraps every 1-3 years in January or winter. Avoid placing in excessively larger pots; size up only a few inches at a time. They do well in tall pots. Soil can also develop a swampy smell, especially right after shipping when the plant is wrapped in plastic and sealed. This is normal; these plants grow naturally in bogs and swampy conditions, and peat moss can develop a bit of an anaerobic smell, but this does not indicate a problem with the soil. 

Feeding and Fertilizer: Venus flytraps will catch plenty of food when grown outdoors. When grown indoors, they will significantly benefit from fertilizing, a foliar fertilizer, and feeding the traps. Plants grown outdoors will appreciate a foliar feed as well. Apply MaxSea fertilizer once per month to the foliage only. Dilute 1/4 teaspoon of MaxSea into one gallon of water and then apply to the traps with a mister bottle. If you would like to feed the traps of your flytrap, it is recommended that you use live prey, as the traps usually require continued movement from their food to stimulate the complete absorption process. They will often open too soon if fed inert foods and do not absorb nutrients. We recommend live mealworms, which are available from any pet store. After digestion, Venus flytraps open back up, leaving the exoskeleton of their prey. They have liquified and absorbed the contents of the insect, but the exoskeleton remains. This does not need to be removed. Traps often die back after a big meal; new ones will grow, and the plant benefits greatly from the nutrients!

More Information: For further information on dormancy, repotting, dividing, and more, check out our website, Venus Flytrap Care, or our YouTube channel.

We have one last surprise sibling to “Snozzberry” and “Queen Cthulu” that may be the best so far! Its large, sparkly, purple-edged rosettes with rounded leaves are beyond charming but it’s the flowers that blew us away!

It’s the color of the flowers that we can’t look stop staring at. Each flower has a white throat surrounded by a bright red ring of color that bleeds into vibrant magenta; each day, the color slowly deepens. We have never seen a red-centered flower Ike this before! Truly one of Damon’s most spectacular hybrids! This plant was released in 2023. 

The plants we are shipping are about the size of a nickel and will be 1-2” at full growth. 

This plant will not come potted; you will need to pot it up upon arrival. Mexican/Tropical Pinguicula prefer our sandy PINGUICULA SOIL MIX.

IF YOU ORDER IN WINTER/EARLY SPRING YOUR PLANT MAY ARRIVE IN WINTER SUCCULENT MODE. DURING THIS TIME, IT WILL GROW SUBSTANTIALLY SMALLER, TIGHT, SUCCULENT LEAVES. DO NOT OVER WATER DURING THIS TIME. IT WILL GROW CARNIVOROUS LEAVES IN THE SPRING.

Care Instructions

Growth Habit: Pinguicula are generally small plants; depending on the species and growth phase, they can range from 1/2” to 8” across at maturity. Most are 2-4” across. They form rosettes of leaves covered in glistening dew, which have a high turnover rate, meaning that they die back frequently, and new leaves grow at the center from the plant. They have pretty leaves, some blush red or purple, and all are covered in sparkling dew. Their flowers are hummingbird and butterfly pollinated in the wild and because their pollinators are attracted to colorful flowers, they have beautiful flowers With long neck spurs! Many species will experience a winter succulent phase. A combination of shorter photo periods, cooler temperatures, and dryer conditions trigger this phase. While this phase is not necessary for the plant to thrive, it is often out of our control whether the plants do this or not. During their succulent phase, they grow small, rounded leaves that look very different from their large carnivorous leaves. Plants in this stage will be significantly smaller than they will be in carnivorous growth. The natural cycle of Pinguicula can lead them to be in succulent growth in spring, not starting their carnivorous growth until late spring sometimes even early summer. Watching them grow their carnivorous leaves is like watching a magic trick; tiny, tight leaves begin to transform into huge, sticky, carnivorous leaves! Pinguicula can easily propagate from leaf pullings, like a succulent. They will also form small clumps over time, dividing naturally. While they can have a long life, they won’t live forever, so it is a good idea to take pullings every year. They do not have significant root systems, and the roots they have are often minimal and very short. The roots can be white, transparent, or brown, and they use these roots mainly to anchor themselves to the soil's surface (they still offer benefits, though, so please do not cut them off). 

Sun: Full to part sun. Sunny windowsills indoors, in a temperature-regulated greenhouse, or under grow lights. In tropical parts of the world or very mild climates, they can be grown outdoors in dappled sun, morning sun only, or under shade cloth. They must be protected from the full afternoon sun. It is best to grow under 30% shade cloth in the summer months when grown in a greenhouse. They can benefit from 30% shade cloth if grown outdoors as well. If your plant is much greener than it should be, developing larger, more elongated leaves than normal for the species or hybrid, and does not have much dew, it may need more light. 

Water & Humidity: In the late spring, summer, and early autumn, Pinguicula can be kept in the tray system with overhead watering as long as they still have carnivorous foliage. This means setting the pots in a deep saucer or tray and routinely filling that with 1/4”-1/2” water. If grown in a non-draining pot, allow room to water and water overhead frequently to keep soil media moist, but do not water so deeply as to have standing water sitting on the surface of the soil; all the water should be absorbed. When the rosettes show their very first signs of growing their smaller, tighter succulent leaves immediately begin to dry out your plants. Keep the soil on the dry side, watering them only a little and let dry out in between watering. You can usually tell how dry a species enjoys its winter by the size of its succulent leaves. The tighter, smaller leafed rosettes such a Pinguicula gypsicola or the bulb-like heterophylla and macrophylla require bone-dry conditions. Species with larger winter leaves, like a few of the moranensis varieties or agnata, enjoy winters soils just slightly damp.  Cuban species should be kept wet year-round, with only slight winter drying. When these plants are transitioning between carnivorous and succulent growth they are at the most risk of rotting, so it is better to air on the side of drier when the temperatures start to get colder and the photo periods shorten. In spring, as soon as the temperatures start to warm and the photo periods lengthen, start watering your plants more. When carnivorous leaves start to grow, begin the tray method again. (If your plant decides it does not want to make carnivorous leaves, don’t worry, sometimes they are stubborn! Water frequently and make sure your plant gets lots of light, preferably some natural light from the sun as well, to try to trigger carnivorous leaf growth. But don’t worry if your ping stays in succulent mode for a whole year, eventually it will grow carnivorous leaves again!) Pinguicula are extremely susceptible to dissolved minerals and salts in their water and poor water quality will directly contribute to decline of plants and death. Be sure to only use rainwater, reverse osmosis water, or distilled water. Pinguicula prefer drier conditions and do not require high humidity.

Temperature: 50 degrees - 90 degrees. While not ideal, Pinguicula can tolerate brief nighttime dips to 40 as long as daytime temperatures warm back up and can tolerate brief heat waves over 90 as long as they are protected from the sun and sitting in water AND nighttime temperatures decrease. Cold temperatures are likely to kill Pinguicula, so avoid exposing them to anything below 50 if possible.

Dormancy: No true dormancy but does have a winter succulent phase during which the plant will produce small succulent leaves instead of flat sticky leaves. Pinguicula do not need this period of succulent growth to grow well. If your plant does not grow succulent leaves, there is no need to try to induce the transition. See the section on watering for in depth care during this time. 

Fertilizer: Apply Schultz Cactus Fertilizer once or twice a month to the leaves with a mister bottle, during the grow season. Do not apply in winter or during succulent winter mode. We use seven drops of fertilizer in 20 ounces of distilled water. 

Soil & Repotting: Pinguicula grow in very dry and rocky soil mixes, do not use a mix that holds a lot of moisture. We use equal parts sand, peat moss, pumice, and perlite. You can order our custom Pinguicula soil mix! These plants ship bare-root so you will have to order potting media and pot them up upon arrival. Pinguicula do not have extensive roots and anchor to the surface of their soil making them ideal candidates for quirky, cute, small, non-draining planters like teacups or vintage pottery. You can plant them in all variety of pots as long as they are glazed ceramic, glazed terracotta, glass or plastic. Avoid un-glazed terracotta. They can be in small pots and do not need much room for roots. Pinguicula are one of the most sensitive plants to a build of minerals and salts in their soil or water. Repot every year to refresh soil.

More Information: For more information on repotting, pests, growing habits, and more, check out our FAQ page or our YouTube channel!

Sarracenia leucophylla ‘Calen’s Super’ x flava var atropurpurea is spectacularly vibrant red! These are seed-grown but almost universally luminescent, bright red! Damon crossed the tall, beautiful leucophylla ‘Calen’s Super’ with his best, darkest flava var atropurpurea to create a towering giant with fiery red color! These plants are a mix of neon pink and wine red with some variation in the lid accent colors.

These are all seed-grown, so there is variation in size, shape, and form.

DORMANT SEASONALLY, STARTING AS EARLY AS OCTOBER AND LASTING AS LATE AS MARCH, DEPENDING ON THE CONDITIONS AND SPECIES/HYBRID. The pitchers turn brown and die back to the rhizome, or non-carnivorous leaves (phyllodia) grow during this time. Please see the final photo to see how Sarracenia look when dormant. They will begin to grow vigorously again in Spring when photoperiods lengthen and temperatures increase.

Care Instructions:

Growth Habit: Sarracenia primarily grow along the Southeastern coastal plain of the United States. They grow pitchers, which are modified leaves, seasonally that can vary in height, color, and size depending on the species or hybrid. The pitchers can die back during the growing season, but new pitchers will grow throughout the spring and summer. The pitchers start to grow in spring, and many grow as the year progresses; in summer, they will be at their best. In summer, you may see brown or black on your pitchers, which can be normal nectar burn or crisping from heat. As Fall comes on, the pitchers may start to die back, turning brown, and by winter, many or all of the pitchers are brown, but the rhizome remains healthy and intact throughout winter dormancy even if you cannot see anything growing. Sarracenia have brown, black, or white roots and do not generally have many of them. The rhizome can be brown and still be healthy.

Sun: Full sun. Sarracenia require lots of direct sun to grow and form pitchers properly. In many areas, they can be grown outdoors in full sun. If you live in a very hot AND very dry place like Arizona or Sacramento, for example, you will want to grow your plants in full morning sun with protection from the afternoon sun or under 30% shade cloth. It is common for several pitchers to "burn" and die back when you first place your plant into the sun; your plant is acclimating to your conditions, and in most cases, new leaves will soon grow and be fully acclimated. Sarracenia can be grown indoors on extremely sunny windowsills that receive all-day sun, but they will require a grow light in most circumstances due to the amount of light the plant needs. Grow lights should be 6-12” from the plant, depending on the light, and on a 10-12 hour day length. Sarracenia generally are not a good candidate for a terrarium as they need intense light and get quite tall. Shorter species like Sarracenia purpurea will do better in a terrarium. Grow outdoors if possible for best results.

Water: Always keep them in a saucer with a few inches of distilled, rainwater, or reverse osmosis water. Never let them dry out, especially in the hot summer months. Sarracenia are bog plants that prefer water-logged conditions unless you live somewhere both very hot AND extremely humid, like Alabama. In that case, let the water tray dry out for a day or two between refills. Always use distilled, reverse osmosis, or rainwater only. These plants are sensitive to their water quality, and giving them mineral and salt-free water is very important. In winter, when the plants are dormant, you can let them dry out a bit between rain storms, but do not let the soil get so dry that it pulls away from the edges of the pots. Be sure to supplement water as needed in between rains in winter.

Temperature and Dormancy: These are warm-temperate plants, meaning they need warm summers and chilly winters. They should be grown outdoors year-round in areas with mild winters. They thrive in temperatures ranging from 20 degrees - 100F degrees and can take a brief freeze or high-temperature spike up to 105F degrees for a short period. If nighttime temps drop below 20 but rise again during the day above 40, your plant will be fine outside.

If you live in an area with very cold winters, where nighttime temperatures drop below 20 degrees for sustained periods, you have three options for providing them with winter dormancy: the garage method, mulching in, or the fridge method. Dormancy is triggered by a combination of exposure to shorter photo-periods and cooler temperatures in the 40-60's F. While you can skip a dormancy period once or twice, in the long term, your plant will begin to do poorly and will eventually die if you skip this crucial period.

The garage method: Bring your plant indoors to a sunny windowsill in an unheated room or garage, where the nighttime temperatures will dip down to 50-60F. Keep it well watered during this period, do not let it dry out, and put it outside again when the outside nighttime temperatures increase consistently above 20F.

The mulch method: Mulch them in very, very well outdoors. Pack at least four inches of mulch on top of the plants and all around the sides to prevent winds from chilling them and freezing the roots. You can also dig the pots into the ground and then mulch heavily on top.

The fridge method: remove the plants from pots, gently clean the roots of soil, wrap the roots in a bit of damp long-fibered New Zealand sphagnum moss, place the plants in a resealable bag, and put the bag into the refrigerator. Leave them in the fridge from October to February, periodically checking on them to ensure they are still moist and not growing mold or fungus. Pot them back up in February. You can vary the timing to align with your outside nighttime temperatures so that your plants can come out of dormancy when it is safe to place them back outside. You can leave them in the fridge for an extended period if you have very long winters.

Soil and Repotting: We prefer a mix of four-part fertilizer-free peat moss to one-part perlite. You can add our pre-made mix to your order here. You do not need to repot your plant when you receive it from us for at least a year, and we recommend against it during the spring-summer months. Repot Sarracenia every 1-3 years in winter when they are dormant. Avoid placing in excessively large pots; size up only a few inches at a time. They do well in tall pots. Soil can also develop a swampy smell, especially right after shipping, when the plant is wrapped in plastic and sealed. This is normal; these plants grow naturally in bogs and swampy conditions, and peat moss can develop a bit of an anaerobic smell, but this does not indicate a problem with the soil. 

Feeding and Fertilizer: Sarracenia will catch plenty of food when grown outdoors. When grown indoors, they will significantly benefit from fertilizing, both a foliar fertilizer and feeding the pitchers. Plants grown outdoors will appreciate a foliar feed as well. Apply MaxSea fertilizer once per month to the foliage only. Dilute 1/4 teaspoon of MaxSea into one gallon of water and then apply to the pitchers, and inside the pitchers, with a mister bottle or a watering can. Osmocote slow-release flower and vegetable pellets can be dropped into the pitchers with a bit of distilled water. Pellets can burn the sides of the pitchers where they come to rest; that is normal.

More Information: For further information on dormancy, repotting, dividing, and more, check out our website or our YouTube channel.

We are so excited to be offering our very own grex of Nepenthes Truncata x edwardsiana. This cross has already been done so we know that it is a proven winner! We have redone this cross using two of the most exceptional clones available.

The Truncata ‘D’ is a well known beauty with reddish pitchers and our edwardsiana ‘giant’ is probably the best clone in cultivation. It has perfect big peristome ridges and consistently makes giant pitchers well over a foot tall! This is a must have cross for any Nepenthes collection! 

The first photo is of the parents used in this cross, the second photo is Nepenthes edwardsiana “Giant” from CalCarn collection and the third photo is Nepenthes truncata “D Red Flush” from Carnivero.

These plants are from our tissue culture lab and there are multiple clones. 

Care Instructions

Growth Habit: Nepenthes are vines and start small; as the plant grows, each leaf will be larger than the last, as will the pitchers that develop from these leaves. It is normal for the pitchers and leaves to die back over time. As leaves and pitchers die back, the plant will continue to vine, turning brown and woody along the stem. Over time, these form large, sprawling vines that can be hung in baskets or trellised upright in large pots. Nepenthes have thin, black roots, and not many of them.

Sun: Nepenthes should be grown on a sunny windowsill where the plant receives direct light for at least four hours daily. Grow in a cooled greenhouse in full sun, but we recommend 30% shade cloth overhead in summer. Grow in a terrarium or shelf under grow lights for the best color and pitcher formation. When grown under lights, lights should be on a 10-12 hour day length, and the plants can be grown six to ten inches from the light, depending on the strength of the light. Poor pitcher formation is usually a sign of not enough light. 

Water & Humidity: Water frequently with distilled, reverse osmosis, or rainwater. Do not let the pots sit in water for long periods. You can water from the bottom, fill trays with water, and let the plant dry out for a few days before watering again. Be careful not to dry the plants out completely. Watering overhead occasionally is also beneficial for the plants. Nepenthes appreciate humidity of at least 60% but can do very well in household conditions without increased humidity if watered regularly. Any added humidity will be enjoyed by your plant! Too little humidity is the second most likely cause of poor pitcher formation. 

Temperature: Daytime temperatures should be in the 70s-80s, with a 10-20 degree drop in night temperatures. Never expose your plants to temperatures below 40 degrees or above 90 degrees, as this can damage or kill them. Nepenthes do best indoors and should not be grown outdoors in most areas unless you have very mild temperatures. 

Dormancy: Nepenthes do not have a dormancy as they are tropical plants, but they can slow down growth in winter when photo periods shorten. 

Fertilizer: Apply diluted Maxsea fertilizer once or twice a month to the leaves and inside the pitchers. Slow-release osmocote pellets can be added to the pitchers along with a bit of distilled water. Small pitchers may burn back upon feeding, but this will still greatly benefit the plant with nutrients. Small insects can also be fed to pitchers.

Soil & Repotting: Nepenthes should be grown in a mix of long-fibered New Zealand sphagnum moss, orchid bark, pumice, and perlite. We have all of our custom Nepenthes soil blends available to add to your order, but you do not need to repot your plant for at least a year after receiving it from us. Nepenthes appreciate frequent repotting every three years and only move to a slightly bigger pot.

More Information: For more information on repotting, pests, growing habits, and more, check out our FAQ page or our YouTube channel!

Sarracenia flava “Waccamaw Mix” is a seed-grown batch of deep-red, gorgeous flava genetics from Steve Galic. He made these by crossing the famous super red flava var attopurpurea “Waccamaw” with his best flavas! While some are more red, others are cuprea type or ornata but have lovely color!

These are seed-grown plants, and there is a lot of variability in size and color.

DORMANT SEASONALLY, STARTING AS EARLY AS OCTOBER AND LASTING AS LATE AS MARCH, DEPENDING ON THE CONDITIONS AND SPECIES/HYBRID. The pitchers turn brown and die back to the rhizome, or non-carnivorous leaves (phyllodia) grow during this time. Please see the final photo to see how Sarracenia look when dormant. They will begin to grow vigorously again in Spring when photoperiods lengthen and temperatures increase.

Care Instructions:

Growth Habit: Sarracenia primarily grow along the Southeastern coastal plain of the United States. They grow pitchers, which are modified leaves, seasonally that can vary in height, color, and size depending on the species or hybrid. The pitchers can die back during the growing season, but new pitchers will grow throughout the spring and summer. The pitchers start to grow in spring, and many grow as the year progresses; in summer, they will be at their best. In summer, you may see brown or black on your pitchers, which can be normal nectar burn or crisping from heat. As Fall comes on, the pitchers may start to die back, turning brown, and by winter, many or all of the pitchers are brown, but the rhizome remains healthy and intact throughout winter dormancy even if you cannot see anything growing. Sarracenia have brown, black, or white roots and do not generally have many of them. The rhizome can be brown and still be healthy.

Sun: Full sun. Sarracenia require lots of direct sun to grow and form pitchers properly. In many areas, they can be grown outdoors in full sun. If you live in a very hot AND very dry place like Arizona or Sacramento, for example, you will want to grow your plants in full morning sun with protection from the afternoon sun or under 30% shade cloth. It is common for several pitchers to "burn" and die back when you first place your plant into the sun; your plant is acclimating to your conditions, and in most cases, new leaves will soon grow and be fully acclimated. Sarracenia can be grown indoors on extremely sunny windowsills that receive all-day sun, but they will require a grow light in most circumstances due to the amount of light the plant needs. Grow lights should be 6-12” from the plant, depending on the light, and on a 10-12 hour day length. Sarracenia generally are not a good candidate for a terrarium as they need intense light and get quite tall. Shorter species like Sarracenia purpurea will do better in a terrarium. Grow outdoors if possible for best results.

Water: Always keep them in a saucer with a few inches of distilled, rainwater, or reverse osmosis water. Never let them dry out, especially in the hot summer months. Sarracenia are bog plants that prefer water-logged conditions unless you live somewhere both very hot AND extremely humid, like Alabama. In that case, let the water tray dry out for a day or two between refills. Always use distilled, reverse osmosis, or rainwater only. These plants are sensitive to their water quality, and giving them mineral and salt-free water is very important. In winter, when the plants are dormant, you can let them dry out a bit between rain storms, but do not let the soil get so dry that it pulls away from the edges of the pots. Be sure to supplement water as needed in between rains in winter.

Temperature and Dormancy: These are warm-temperate plants, meaning they need warm summers and chilly winters. They should be grown outdoors year-round in areas with mild winters. They thrive in temperatures ranging from 20 degrees - 100F degrees and can take a brief freeze or high-temperature spike up to 105F degrees for a short period. If nighttime temps drop below 20 but rise again during the day above 40, your plant will be fine outside.

If you live in an area with very cold winters, where nighttime temperatures drop below 20 degrees for sustained periods, you have three options for providing them with winter dormancy: the garage method, mulching in, or the fridge method. Dormancy is triggered by a combination of exposure to shorter photo-periods and cooler temperatures in the 40-60's F. While you can skip a dormancy period once or twice, in the long term, your plant will begin to do poorly and will eventually die if you skip this crucial period.

The garage method: Bring your plant indoors to a sunny windowsill in an unheated room or garage, where the nighttime temperatures will dip down to 50-60F. Keep it well watered during this period, do not let it dry out, and put it outside again when the outside nighttime temperatures increase consistently above 20F.

The mulch method: Mulch them in very, very well outdoors. Pack at least four inches of mulch on top of the plants and all around the sides to prevent winds from chilling them and freezing the roots. You can also dig the pots into the ground and then mulch heavily on top.

The fridge method: remove the plants from pots, gently clean the roots of soil, wrap the roots in a bit of damp long-fibered New Zealand sphagnum moss, place the plants in a resealable bag, and put the bag into the refrigerator. Leave them in the fridge from October to February, periodically checking on them to ensure they are still moist and not growing mold or fungus. Pot them back up in February. You can vary the timing to align with your outside nighttime temperatures so that your plants can come out of dormancy when it is safe to place them back outside. You can leave them in the fridge for an extended period if you have very long winters.

Soil and Repotting: We prefer a mix of four-part fertilizer-free peat moss to one-part perlite. You can add our pre-made mix to your order here. You do not need to repot your plant when you receive it from us for at least a year, and we recommend against it during the spring-summer months. Repot Sarracenia every 1-3 years in winter when they are dormant. Avoid placing in excessively large pots; size up only a few inches at a time. They do well in tall pots. Soil can also develop a swampy smell, especially right after shipping, when the plant is wrapped in plastic and sealed. This is normal; these plants grow naturally in bogs and swampy conditions, and peat moss can develop a bit of an anaerobic smell, but this does not indicate a problem with the soil. 

Feeding and Fertilizer: Sarracenia will catch plenty of food when grown outdoors. When grown indoors, they will significantly benefit from fertilizing, both a foliar fertilizer and feeding the pitchers. Plants grown outdoors will appreciate a foliar feed as well. Apply MaxSea fertilizer once per month to the foliage only. Dilute 1/4 teaspoon of MaxSea into one gallon of water and then apply to the pitchers, and inside the pitchers, with a mister bottle or a watering can. Osmocote slow-release flower and vegetable pellets can be dropped into the pitchers with a bit of distilled water. Pellets can burn the sides of the pitchers where they come to rest; that is normal.

More Information: For further information on dormancy, repotting, dividing, and more, check out our website or our YouTube channel.

Pinguicula x “Kaiberdo” is our first new introduction for 2026 along with its sibling “Kaiberdon’t.” Damon was super excited to make crosses with ‘Florian’ so that we could create beautiful, compact, little floriferous cultivars like these. “Kaiberdo” is named for Tiffany’s son, she is our mail order queen and we couldn’t do this without her! Like Kai himself, this cross has turned out to be everything we’d hoped for and more! The little rosy, compact rosettes look exactly like hen and chicks echeveria in their succulent phase. The rosy-pink flowers have a neon yellow throat and gently nod, disproportionately large to the plant! Ideal for ping rocks and tea cups.

The plants we are shipping are about the size of a quarter and will be 1-2” at full growth. 

This plant will not come potted; you will need to pot it up upon arrival. Mexican/Tropical Pinguicula prefer our sandy PINGUICULA SOIL MIX.

IF YOU ORDER IN WINTER/EARLY SPRING YOUR PLANT MAY ARRIVE IN WINTER SUCCULENT MODE. DURING THIS TIME, IT WILL GROW SUBSTANTIALLY SMALLER, TIGHT, SUCCULENT LEAVES. DO NOT OVER WATER DURING THIS TIME. IT WILL GROW CARNIVOROUS LEAVES IN THE SPRING.

Care Instructions

Growth Habit: Pinguicula are generally small plants; depending on the species and growth phase, they can range from 1/2” to 8” across at maturity. Most are 2-4” across. They form rosettes of leaves covered in glistening dew, which have a high turnover rate, meaning that they die back frequently, and new leaves grow at the center from the plant. They have pretty leaves, some blush red or purple, and all are covered in sparkling dew. Their flowers are hummingbird and butterfly pollinated in the wild and because their pollinators are attracted to colorful flowers, they have beautiful flowers With long neck spurs! Many species will experience a winter succulent phase. A combination of shorter photo periods, cooler temperatures, and dryer conditions trigger this phase. While this phase is not necessary for the plant to thrive, it is often out of our control whether the plants do this or not. During their succulent phase, they grow small, rounded leaves that look very different from their large carnivorous leaves. Plants in this stage will be significantly smaller than they will be in carnivorous growth. The natural cycle of Pinguicula can lead them to be in succulent growth in spring, not starting their carnivorous growth until late spring sometimes even early summer. Watching them grow their carnivorous leaves is like watching a magic trick; tiny, tight leaves begin to transform into huge, sticky, carnivorous leaves! Pinguicula can easily propagate from leaf pullings, like a succulent. They will also form small clumps over time, dividing naturally. While they can have a long life, they won’t live forever, so it is a good idea to take pullings every year. They do not have significant root systems, and the roots they have are often minimal and very short. The roots can be white, transparent, or brown, and they use these roots mainly to anchor themselves to the soil's surface (they still offer benefits, though, so please do not cut them off). 

Sun: Full to part sun. Sunny windowsills indoors, in a temperature-regulated greenhouse, or under grow lights. In tropical parts of the world or very mild climates, they can be grown outdoors in dappled sun, morning sun only, or under shade cloth. They must be protected from the full afternoon sun. It is best to grow under 30% shade cloth in the summer months when grown in a greenhouse. They can benefit from 30% shade cloth if grown outdoors as well. If your plant is much greener than it should be, developing larger, more elongated leaves than normal for the species or hybrid, and does not have much dew, it may need more light. 

Water & Humidity: In the late spring, summer, and early autumn, Pinguicula can be kept in the tray system with overhead watering as long as they still have carnivorous foliage. This means setting the pots in a deep saucer or tray and routinely filling that with 1/4”-1/2” water. If grown in a non-draining pot, allow room to water and water overhead frequently to keep soil media moist, but do not water so deeply as to have standing water sitting on the surface of the soil; all the water should be absorbed. When the rosettes show their very first signs of growing their smaller, tighter succulent leaves immediately begin to dry out your plants. Keep the soil on the dry side, watering them only a little and let dry out in between watering. You can usually tell how dry a species enjoys its winter by the size of its succulent leaves. The tighter, smaller leafed rosettes such a Pinguicula gypsicola or the bulb-like heterophylla and macrophylla require bone-dry conditions. Species with larger winter leaves, like a few of the moranensis varieties or agnata, enjoy winters soils just slightly damp.  Cuban species should be kept wet year-round, with only slight winter drying. When these plants are transitioning between carnivorous and succulent growth they are at the most risk of rotting, so it is better to air on the side of drier when the temperatures start to get colder and the photo periods shorten. In spring, as soon as the temperatures start to warm and the photo periods lengthen, start watering your plants more. When carnivorous leaves start to grow, begin the tray method again. (If your plant decides it does not want to make carnivorous leaves, don’t worry, sometimes they are stubborn! Water frequently and make sure your plant gets lots of light, preferably some natural light from the sun as well, to try to trigger carnivorous leaf growth. But don’t worry if your ping stays in succulent mode for a whole year, eventually it will grow carnivorous leaves again!) Pinguicula are extremely susceptible to dissolved minerals and salts in their water and poor water quality will directly contribute to decline of plants and death. Be sure to only use rainwater, reverse osmosis water, or distilled water. Pinguicula prefer drier conditions and do not require high humidity.

Temperature: 50 degrees - 90 degrees. While not ideal, Pinguicula can tolerate brief nighttime dips to 40 as long as daytime temperatures warm back up and can tolerate brief heat waves over 90 as long as they are protected from the sun and sitting in water AND nighttime temperatures decrease. Cold temperatures are likely to kill Pinguicula, so avoid exposing them to anything below 50 if possible.

Dormancy: No true dormancy but does have a winter succulent phase during which the plant will produce small succulent leaves instead of flat sticky leaves. Pinguicula do not need this period of succulent growth to grow well. If your plant does not grow succulent leaves, there is no need to try to induce the transition. See the section on watering for in depth care during this time. 

Fertilizer: Apply Schultz Cactus Fertilizer once or twice a month to the leaves with a mister bottle, during the grow season. Do not apply in winter or during succulent winter mode. We use seven drops of fertilizer in 20 ounces of distilled water. 

Soil & Repotting: Pinguicula grow in very dry and rocky soil mixes, do not use a mix that holds a lot of moisture. We use equal parts sand, peat moss, pumice, and perlite. You can order our custom Pinguicula soil mix! These plants ship bare-root so you will have to order potting media and pot them up upon arrival. Pinguicula do not have extensive roots and anchor to the surface of their soil making them ideal candidates for quirky, cute, small, non-draining planters like teacups or vintage pottery. You can plant them in all variety of pots as long as they are glazed ceramic, glazed terracotta, glass or plastic. Avoid un-glazed terracotta. They can be in small pots and do not need much room for roots. Pinguicula are one of the most sensitive plants to a build of minerals and salts in their soil or water. Repot every year to refresh soil.

More Information: For more information on repotting, pests, growing habits, and more, check out our FAQ page or our YouTube channel!

Sarracenia flava v rubricorpora “Fire Top” is a very special, select rubricorpora. Many years ago, Damon gifted a particularly nice plant to Alison, our office manager (if you’ve emailed us, she’s been the one to help you!). Recently, she brought the plant back to divide, and we were able to take some of the divisions for you! This unbelievable plant is so fiery and so colorful that we had to name it!

These are divisions. X-Large divisions have more than one growth point but may not be taller than Large divisions, they will have more pitchers and fill out more quickly.

DORMANT SEASONALLY, STARTING AS EARLY AS OCTOBER AND LASTING AS LATE AS MARCH, DEPENDING ON THE CONDITIONS AND SPECIES/HYBRID. The pitchers turn brown and die back to the rhizome, or non-carnivorous leaves (phyllodia) grow during this time. Please see the final photo to see how Sarracenia look when dormant. They will begin to grow vigorously again in Spring when photoperiods lengthen and temperatures increase.

Care Instructions:

Growth Habit: Sarracenia primarily grow along the Southeastern coastal plain of the United States. They grow pitchers, which are modified leaves, seasonally that can vary in height, color, and size depending on the species or hybrid. The pitchers can die back during the growing season, but new pitchers will grow throughout the spring and summer. The pitchers start to grow in spring, and many grow as the year progresses; in summer, they will be at their best. In summer, you may see brown or black on your pitchers, which can be normal nectar burn or crisping from heat. As Fall comes on, the pitchers may start to die back, turning brown, and by winter, many or all of the pitchers are brown, but the rhizome remains healthy and intact throughout winter dormancy even if you cannot see anything growing. Sarracenia have brown, black, or white roots and do not generally have many of them. The rhizome can be brown and still be healthy.

Sun: Full sun. Sarracenia require lots of direct sun to grow and form pitchers properly. In many areas, they can be grown outdoors in full sun. If you live in a very hot AND very dry place like Arizona or Sacramento, for example, you will want to grow your plants in full morning sun with protection from the afternoon sun or under 30% shade cloth. It is common for several pitchers to "burn" and die back when you first place your plant into the sun; your plant is acclimating to your conditions, and in most cases, new leaves will soon grow and be fully acclimated. Sarracenia can be grown indoors on extremely sunny windowsills that receive all-day sun, but they will require a grow light in most circumstances due to the amount of light the plant needs. Grow lights should be 6-12” from the plant, depending on the light, and on a 10-12 hour day length. Sarracenia generally are not a good candidate for a terrarium as they need intense light and get quite tall. Shorter species like Sarracenia purpurea will do better in a terrarium. Grow outdoors if possible for best results.

Water: Always keep them in a saucer with a few inches of distilled, rainwater, or reverse osmosis water. Never let them dry out, especially in the hot summer months. Sarracenia are bog plants that prefer water-logged conditions unless you live somewhere both very hot AND extremely humid, like Alabama. In that case, let the water tray dry out for a day or two between refills. Always use distilled, reverse osmosis, or rainwater only. These plants are sensitive to their water quality, and giving them mineral and salt-free water is very important. In winter, when the plants are dormant, you can let them dry out a bit between rain storms, but do not let the soil get so dry that it pulls away from the edges of the pots. Be sure to supplement water as needed in between rains in winter.

Temperature and Dormancy: These are warm-temperate plants, meaning they need warm summers and chilly winters. They should be grown outdoors year-round in areas with mild winters. They thrive in temperatures ranging from 20 degrees - 100F degrees and can take a brief freeze or high-temperature spike up to 105F degrees for a short period. If nighttime temps drop below 20 but rise again during the day above 40, your plant will be fine outside.

If you live in an area with very cold winters, where nighttime temperatures drop below 20 degrees for sustained periods, you have three options for providing them with winter dormancy: the garage method, mulching in, or the fridge method. Dormancy is triggered by a combination of exposure to shorter photo-periods and cooler temperatures in the 40-60's F. While you can skip a dormancy period once or twice, in the long term, your plant will begin to do poorly and will eventually die if you skip this crucial period.

The garage method: Bring your plant indoors to a sunny windowsill in an unheated room or garage, where the nighttime temperatures will dip down to 50-60F. Keep it well watered during this period, do not let it dry out, and put it outside again when the outside nighttime temperatures increase consistently above 20F.

The mulch method: Mulch them in very, very well outdoors. Pack at least four inches of mulch on top of the plants and all around the sides to prevent winds from chilling them and freezing the roots. You can also dig the pots into the ground and then mulch heavily on top.

The fridge method: remove the plants from pots, gently clean the roots of soil, wrap the roots in a bit of damp long-fibered New Zealand sphagnum moss, place the plants in a resealable bag, and put the bag into the refrigerator. Leave them in the fridge from October to February, periodically checking on them to ensure they are still moist and not growing mold or fungus. Pot them back up in February. You can vary the timing to align with your outside nighttime temperatures so that your plants can come out of dormancy when it is safe to place them back outside. You can leave them in the fridge for an extended period if you have very long winters.

Soil and Repotting: We prefer a mix of four-part fertilizer-free peat moss to one-part perlite. You can add our pre-made mix to your order here. You do not need to repot your plant when you receive it from us for at least a year, and we recommend against it during the spring-summer months. Repot Sarracenia every 1-3 years in winter when they are dormant. Avoid placing in excessively large pots; size up only a few inches at a time. They do well in tall pots. Soil can also develop a swampy smell, especially right after shipping, when the plant is wrapped in plastic and sealed. This is normal; these plants grow naturally in bogs and swampy conditions, and peat moss can develop a bit of an anaerobic smell, but this does not indicate a problem with the soil. 

Feeding and Fertilizer: Sarracenia will catch plenty of food when grown outdoors. When grown indoors, they will significantly benefit from fertilizing, both a foliar fertilizer and feeding the pitchers. Plants grown outdoors will appreciate a foliar feed as well. Apply MaxSea fertilizer once per month to the foliage only. Dilute 1/4 teaspoon of MaxSea into one gallon of water and then apply to the pitchers, and inside the pitchers, with a mister bottle or a watering can. Osmocote slow-release flower and vegetable pellets can be dropped into the pitchers with a bit of distilled water. Pellets can burn the sides of the pitchers where they come to rest; that is normal.

More Information: For further information on dormancy, repotting, dividing, and more, check out our website or our YouTube channel.

Sarracenia rubra ssp. alabamensis is one of the most endangered species of the American pitcher plants and grows in only a handful of remaining sites.  The late summer pitchers are some of the best in the genus! They have an elegant shape, long lid and are glowing yellow, unlike any Sarracenia!

These are seedgrown. Please note, this is a smaller species.

California Carnivores can ship this plant outside of California as per Permit Number ESPER0002076, the plant and any resulting seeds or progeny may not be planted on Federal property, these are artificially propagated. 

DORMANT SEASONALLY, STARTING AS EARLY AS OCTOBER AND LASTING AS LATE AS MARCH, DEPENDING ON THE CONDITIONS AND SPECIES/HYBRID. The pitchers turn brown and die back to the rhizome, or non-carnivorous leaves (phyllodia) grow during this time. Please see the final photo to see how Sarracenia look when dormant. They will begin to grow vigorously again in Spring when photoperiods lengthen and temperatures increase.

Care Instructions:

Growth Habit: Sarracenia primarily grow along the Southeastern coastal plain of the United States. They grow pitchers, which are modified leaves, seasonally that can vary in height, color, and size depending on the species or hybrid. The pitchers can die back during the growing season, but new pitchers will grow throughout the spring and summer. The pitchers start to grow in spring, and many grow as the year progresses; in summer, they will be at their best. In summer, you may see brown or black on your pitchers, which can be normal nectar burn or crisping from heat. As Fall comes on, the pitchers may start to die back, turning brown, and by winter, many or all of the pitchers are brown, but the rhizome remains healthy and intact throughout winter dormancy even if you cannot see anything growing. Sarracenia have brown, black, or white roots and do not generally have many of them. The rhizome can be brown and still be healthy.

Sun: Full sun. Sarracenia require lots of direct sun to grow and form pitchers properly. In many areas, they can be grown outdoors in full sun. If you live in a very hot AND very dry place like Arizona or Sacramento, for example, you will want to grow your plants in full morning sun with protection from the afternoon sun or under 30% shade cloth. It is common for several pitchers to "burn" and die back when you first place your plant into the sun; your plant is acclimating to your conditions, and in most cases, new leaves will soon grow and be fully acclimated. Sarracenia can be grown indoors on extremely sunny windowsills that receive all-day sun, but they will require a grow light in most circumstances due to the amount of light the plant needs. Grow lights should be 6-12” from the plant, depending on the light, and on a 10-12 hour day length. Sarracenia generally are not a good candidate for a terrarium as they need intense light and get quite tall. Shorter species like Sarracenia purpurea will do better in a terrarium. Grow outdoors if possible for best results.

Water: Always keep them in a saucer with a few inches of distilled, rainwater, or reverse osmosis water. Never let them dry out, especially in the hot summer months. Sarracenia are bog plants that prefer water-logged conditions unless you live somewhere both very hot AND extremely humid, like Alabama. In that case, let the water tray dry out for a day or two between refills. Always use distilled, reverse osmosis, or rainwater only. These plants are sensitive to their water quality, and giving them mineral and salt-free water is very important. In winter, when the plants are dormant, you can let them dry out a bit between rain storms, but do not let the soil get so dry that it pulls away from the edges of the pots. Be sure to supplement water as needed in between rains in winter.

Temperature and Dormancy: These are warm-temperate plants, meaning they need warm summers and chilly winters. They should be grown outdoors year-round in areas with mild winters. They thrive in temperatures ranging from 20 degrees - 100F degrees and can take a brief freeze or high-temperature spike up to 105F degrees for a short period. If nighttime temps drop below 20 but rise again during the day above 40, your plant will be fine outside.

If you live in an area with very cold winters, where nighttime temperatures drop below 20 degrees for sustained periods, you have three options for providing them with winter dormancy: the garage method, mulching in, or the fridge method. Dormancy is triggered by a combination of exposure to shorter photo-periods and cooler temperatures in the 40-60's F. While you can skip a dormancy period once or twice, in the long term, your plant will begin to do poorly and will eventually die if you skip this crucial period.

The garage method: Bring your plant indoors to a sunny windowsill in an unheated room or garage, where the nighttime temperatures will dip down to 50-60F. Keep it well watered during this period, do not let it dry out, and put it outside again when the outside nighttime temperatures increase consistently above 20F.

The mulch method: Mulch them in very, very well outdoors. Pack at least four inches of mulch on top of the plants and all around the sides to prevent winds from chilling them and freezing the roots. You can also dig the pots into the ground and then mulch heavily on top.

The fridge method: remove the plants from pots, gently clean the roots of soil, wrap the roots in a bit of damp long-fibered New Zealand sphagnum moss, place the plants in a resealable bag, and put the bag into the refrigerator. Leave them in the fridge from October to February, periodically checking on them to ensure they are still moist and not growing mold or fungus. Pot them back up in February. You can vary the timing to align with your outside nighttime temperatures so that your plants can come out of dormancy when it is safe to place them back outside. You can leave them in the fridge for an extended period if you have very long winters.

Soil and Repotting: We prefer a mix of four-part fertilizer-free peat moss to one-part perlite. You can add our pre-made mix to your order here. You do not need to repot your plant when you receive it from us for at least a year, and we recommend against it during the spring-summer months. Repot Sarracenia every 1-3 years in winter when they are dormant. Avoid placing in excessively large pots; size up only a few inches at a time. They do well in tall pots. Soil can also develop a swampy smell, especially right after shipping, when the plant is wrapped in plastic and sealed. This is normal; these plants grow naturally in bogs and swampy conditions, and peat moss can develop a bit of an anaerobic smell, but this does not indicate a problem with the soil. 

Feeding and Fertilizer: Sarracenia will catch plenty of food when grown outdoors. When grown indoors, they will significantly benefit from fertilizing, both a foliar fertilizer and feeding the pitchers. Plants grown outdoors will appreciate a foliar feed as well. Apply MaxSea fertilizer once per month to the foliage only. Dilute 1/4 teaspoon of MaxSea into one gallon of water and then apply to the pitchers, and inside the pitchers, with a mister bottle or a watering can. Osmocote slow-release flower and vegetable pellets can be dropped into the pitchers with a bit of distilled water. Pellets can burn the sides of the pitchers where they come to rest; that is normal.

More Information: For further information on dormancy, repotting, dividing, and more, check out our website or our YouTube channel.

Sarracenia ( x ‘Ember’ ) x ( x ‘Saurus’ ) is a show-stopping new hybrid for 2025! ‘Ember’ is well known for its hooded, purple-red, plentiful pitchers. ‘Saurus’ is a Phil Faulisi creation that needs no introduction. It is widely considered the best and biggest dark red moorei out there! These plants have combined the best of both parents with profusions of pitchers with exaggerated lids and vivid fire-like coloration! 

These seed-grown plants have insane variability in size, form, and color, no two look the same! 

DORMANT SEASONALLY, STARTING AS EARLY AS OCTOBER AND LASTING AS LATE AS MARCH, DEPENDING ON THE CONDITIONS AND SPECIES/HYBRID. The pitchers turn brown and die back to the rhizome, or non-carnivorous leaves (phyllodia) grow during this time. Please see the final photo to see how Sarracenia look when dormant. They will begin to grow vigorously again in Spring when photoperiods lengthen and temperatures increase.

Care Instructions:

Growth Habit: Sarracenia primarily grow along the Southeastern coastal plain of the United States. They grow pitchers, which are modified leaves, seasonally that can vary in height, color, and size depending on the species or hybrid. The pitchers can die back during the growing season, but new pitchers will grow throughout the spring and summer. The pitchers start to grow in spring, and many grow as the year progresses; in summer, they will be at their best. In summer, you may see brown or black on your pitchers, which can be normal nectar burn or crisping from heat. As Fall comes on, the pitchers may start to die back, turning brown, and by winter, many or all of the pitchers are brown, but the rhizome remains healthy and intact throughout winter dormancy even if you cannot see anything growing. Sarracenia have brown, black, or white roots and do not generally have many of them. The rhizome can be brown and still be healthy.

Sun: Full sun. Sarracenia require lots of direct sun to grow and form pitchers properly. In many areas, they can be grown outdoors in full sun. If you live in a very hot AND very dry place like Arizona or Sacramento, for example, you will want to grow your plants in full morning sun with protection from the afternoon sun or under 30% shade cloth. It is common for several pitchers to "burn" and die back when you first place your plant into the sun; your plant is acclimating to your conditions, and in most cases, new leaves will soon grow and be fully acclimated. Sarracenia can be grown indoors on extremely sunny windowsills that receive all-day sun, but they will require a grow light in most circumstances due to the amount of light the plant needs. Grow lights should be 6-12” from the plant, depending on the light, and on a 10-12 hour day length. Sarracenia generally are not a good candidate for a terrarium as they need intense light and get quite tall. Shorter species like Sarracenia purpurea will do better in a terrarium. Grow outdoors if possible for best results.

Water: Always keep them in a saucer with a few inches of distilled, rainwater, or reverse osmosis water. Never let them dry out, especially in the hot summer months. Sarracenia are bog plants that prefer water-logged conditions unless you live somewhere both very hot AND extremely humid, like Alabama. In that case, let the water tray dry out for a day or two between refills. Always use distilled, reverse osmosis, or rainwater only. These plants are sensitive to their water quality, and giving them mineral and salt-free water is very important. In winter, when the plants are dormant, you can let them dry out a bit between rain storms, but do not let the soil get so dry that it pulls away from the edges of the pots. Be sure to supplement water as needed in between rains in winter.

Temperature and Dormancy: These are warm-temperate plants, meaning they need warm summers and chilly winters. They should be grown outdoors year-round in areas with mild winters. They thrive in temperatures ranging from 20 degrees - 100F degrees and can take a brief freeze or high-temperature spike up to 105F degrees for a short period. If nighttime temps drop below 20 but rise again during the day above 40, your plant will be fine outside.

If you live in an area with very cold winters, where nighttime temperatures drop below 20 degrees for sustained periods, you have three options for providing them with winter dormancy: the garage method, mulching in, or the fridge method. Dormancy is triggered by a combination of exposure to shorter photo-periods and cooler temperatures in the 40-60's F. While you can skip a dormancy period once or twice, in the long term, your plant will begin to do poorly and will eventually die if you skip this crucial period.

The garage method: Bring your plant indoors to a sunny windowsill in an unheated room or garage, where the nighttime temperatures will dip down to 50-60F. Keep it well watered during this period, do not let it dry out, and put it outside again when the outside nighttime temperatures increase consistently above 20F.

The mulch method: Mulch them in very, very well outdoors. Pack at least four inches of mulch on top of the plants and all around the sides to prevent winds from chilling them and freezing the roots. You can also dig the pots into the ground and then mulch heavily on top.

The fridge method: remove the plants from pots, gently clean the roots of soil, wrap the roots in a bit of damp long-fibered New Zealand sphagnum moss, place the plants in a resealable bag, and put the bag into the refrigerator. Leave them in the fridge from October to February, periodically checking on them to ensure they are still moist and not growing mold or fungus. Pot them back up in February. You can vary the timing to align with your outside nighttime temperatures so that your plants can come out of dormancy when it is safe to place them back outside. You can leave them in the fridge for an extended period if you have very long winters.

Soil and Repotting: We prefer a mix of four-part fertilizer-free peat moss to one-part perlite. You can add our pre-made mix to your order here. You do not need to repot your plant when you receive it from us for at least a year, and we recommend against it during the spring-summer months. Repot Sarracenia every 1-3 years in winter when they are dormant. Avoid placing in excessively large pots; size up only a few inches at a time. They do well in tall pots. Soil can also develop a swampy smell, especially right after shipping, when the plant is wrapped in plastic and sealed. This is normal; these plants grow naturally in bogs and swampy conditions, and peat moss can develop a bit of an anaerobic smell, but this does not indicate a problem with the soil. 

Feeding and Fertilizer: Sarracenia will catch plenty of food when grown outdoors. When grown indoors, they will significantly benefit from fertilizing, both a foliar fertilizer and feeding the pitchers. Plants grown outdoors will appreciate a foliar feed as well. Apply MaxSea fertilizer once per month to the foliage only. Dilute 1/4 teaspoon of MaxSea into one gallon of water and then apply to the pitchers, and inside the pitchers, with a mister bottle or a watering can. Osmocote slow-release flower and vegetable pellets can be dropped into the pitchers with a bit of distilled water. Pellets can burn the sides of the pitchers where they come to rest; that is normal.

More Information: For further information on dormancy, repotting, dividing, and more, check out our website or our YouTube channel.

Sarracenia ( 'Dana’s Delight’ ) x ( x ‘Saurus’ )is a stunning new hybrid for 2026! Sarracenia x ‘Dana’s Delight’ is a well-known, spectacular cultivar. With its neon pink color and tall pitchers, it has a well-earned reputation for its beauty. ‘Saurus’ is a Phil Faulisi creation that needs no introduction. It is widely considered the best and biggest dark red moorei out there! These plants all have stunning pink to red coloration and are already quite vigorous and tall, we expect them all to be huge!

These seed-grown plants have variability in size, form, and color! X-Large sized plants do not indicate a taller plant, but a plant with multiple growth points.

DORMANT SEASONALLY, STARTING AS EARLY AS OCTOBER AND LASTING AS LATE AS MARCH, DEPENDING ON THE CONDITIONS AND SPECIES/HYBRID. The pitchers turn brown and die back to the rhizome, or non-carnivorous leaves (phyllodia) grow during this time. Please see the final photo to see how Sarracenia look when dormant. They will begin to grow vigorously again in Spring when photoperiods lengthen and temperatures increase.

Care Instructions:

Growth Habit: Sarracenia primarily grow along the Southeastern coastal plain of the United States. They grow pitchers, which are modified leaves, seasonally that can vary in height, color, and size depending on the species or hybrid. The pitchers can die back during the growing season, but new pitchers will grow throughout the spring and summer. The pitchers start to grow in spring, and many grow as the year progresses; in summer, they will be at their best. In summer, you may see brown or black on your pitchers, which can be normal nectar burn or crisping from heat. As Fall comes on, the pitchers may start to die back, turning brown, and by winter, many or all of the pitchers are brown, but the rhizome remains healthy and intact throughout winter dormancy even if you cannot see anything growing. Sarracenia have brown, black, or white roots and do not generally have many of them. The rhizome can be brown and still be healthy.

Sun: Full sun. Sarracenia require lots of direct sun to grow and form pitchers properly. In many areas, they can be grown outdoors in full sun. If you live in a very hot AND very dry place like Arizona or Sacramento, for example, you will want to grow your plants in full morning sun with protection from the afternoon sun or under 30% shade cloth. It is common for several pitchers to "burn" and die back when you first place your plant into the sun; your plant is acclimating to your conditions, and in most cases, new leaves will soon grow and be fully acclimated. Sarracenia can be grown indoors on extremely sunny windowsills that receive all-day sun, but they will require a grow light in most circumstances due to the amount of light the plant needs. Grow lights should be 6-12” from the plant, depending on the light, and on a 10-12 hour day length. Sarracenia generally are not a good candidate for a terrarium as they need intense light and get quite tall. Shorter species like Sarracenia purpurea will do better in a terrarium. Grow outdoors if possible for best results.

Water: Always keep them in a saucer with a few inches of distilled, rainwater, or reverse osmosis water. Never let them dry out, especially in the hot summer months. Sarracenia are bog plants that prefer water-logged conditions unless you live somewhere both very hot AND extremely humid, like Alabama. In that case, let the water tray dry out for a day or two between refills. Always use distilled, reverse osmosis, or rainwater only. These plants are sensitive to their water quality, and giving them mineral and salt-free water is very important. In winter, when the plants are dormant, you can let them dry out a bit between rain storms, but do not let the soil get so dry that it pulls away from the edges of the pots. Be sure to supplement water as needed in between rains in winter.

Temperature and Dormancy: These are warm-temperate plants, meaning they need warm summers and chilly winters. They should be grown outdoors year-round in areas with mild winters. They thrive in temperatures ranging from 20 degrees - 100F degrees and can take a brief freeze or high-temperature spike up to 105F degrees for a short period. If nighttime temps drop below 20 but rise again during the day above 40, your plant will be fine outside.

If you live in an area with very cold winters, where nighttime temperatures drop below 20 degrees for sustained periods, you have three options for providing them with winter dormancy: the garage method, mulching in, or the fridge method. Dormancy is triggered by a combination of exposure to shorter photo-periods and cooler temperatures in the 40-60's F. While you can skip a dormancy period once or twice, in the long term, your plant will begin to do poorly and will eventually die if you skip this crucial period.

The garage method: Bring your plant indoors to a sunny windowsill in an unheated room or garage, where the nighttime temperatures will dip down to 50-60F. Keep it well watered during this period, do not let it dry out, and put it outside again when the outside nighttime temperatures increase consistently above 20F.

The mulch method: Mulch them in very, very well outdoors. Pack at least four inches of mulch on top of the plants and all around the sides to prevent winds from chilling them and freezing the roots. You can also dig the pots into the ground and then mulch heavily on top.

The fridge method: remove the plants from pots, gently clean the roots of soil, wrap the roots in a bit of damp long-fibered New Zealand sphagnum moss, place the plants in a resealable bag, and put the bag into the refrigerator. Leave them in the fridge from October to February, periodically checking on them to ensure they are still moist and not growing mold or fungus. Pot them back up in February. You can vary the timing to align with your outside nighttime temperatures so that your plants can come out of dormancy when it is safe to place them back outside. You can leave them in the fridge for an extended period if you have very long winters.

Soil and Repotting: We prefer a mix of four-part fertilizer-free peat moss to one-part perlite. You can add our pre-made mix to your order here. You do not need to repot your plant when you receive it from us for at least a year, and we recommend against it during the spring-summer months. Repot Sarracenia every 1-3 years in winter when they are dormant. Avoid placing in excessively large pots; size up only a few inches at a time. They do well in tall pots. Soil can also develop a swampy smell, especially right after shipping, when the plant is wrapped in plastic and sealed. This is normal; these plants grow naturally in bogs and swampy conditions, and peat moss can develop a bit of an anaerobic smell, but this does not indicate a problem with the soil. 

Feeding and Fertilizer: Sarracenia will catch plenty of food when grown outdoors. When grown indoors, they will significantly benefit from fertilizing, both a foliar fertilizer and feeding the pitchers. Plants grown outdoors will appreciate a foliar feed as well. Apply MaxSea fertilizer once per month to the foliage only. Dilute 1/4 teaspoon of MaxSea into one gallon of water and then apply to the pitchers, and inside the pitchers, with a mister bottle or a watering can. Osmocote slow-release flower and vegetable pellets can be dropped into the pitchers with a bit of distilled water. Pellets can burn the sides of the pitchers where they come to rest; that is normal.

More Information: For further information on dormancy, repotting, dividing, and more, check out our website or our YouTube channel.

Pinguicula x “Kaiberdon’t” is our first new introduction for 2026 along with its sibling “Kaiberdo.” Damon was super excited to make crosses with ‘Florian’ so that we could create beautiful, compact, little floriferous cultivars like these. “Kaiberdon’t” is named for Tiffany’s son, she is our mail order queen and we couldn’t do this without her! Like Kai himself, this cross has turned out to be everything we’d hoped for and more!

"Kaiberdon’t” is a sibling to “Kaiberdo” that brings everything to the party that “Kaiberdo” does! In contrast to its sibling, it is a slightly larger plant with greener leaves and paler pink flowers, with an extra yellow, hairy throat. “Kaiberdon’t” is a chipper little plant that’s flowers tend to present their faces up towards the sun. 

The plants we are shipping are about the size of a quarter and will be 1-2” at full growth. These are smaller plants in general, bred on purpose to stay petite!

This plant will not come potted; you will need to pot it up upon arrival. Mexican/Tropical Pinguicula prefer our sandy PINGUICULA SOIL MIX.

IF YOU ORDER IN WINTER/EARLY SPRING YOUR PLANT MAY ARRIVE IN WINTER SUCCULENT MODE. DURING THIS TIME, IT WILL GROW SUBSTANTIALLY SMALLER, TIGHT, SUCCULENT LEAVES. DO NOT OVER WATER DURING THIS TIME. IT WILL GROW CARNIVOROUS LEAVES IN THE SPRING.

Care Instructions

Growth Habit: Pinguicula are generally small plants; depending on the species and growth phase, they can range from 1/2” to 8” across at maturity. Most are 2-4” across. They form rosettes of leaves covered in glistening dew, which have a high turnover rate, meaning that they die back frequently, and new leaves grow at the center from the plant. They have pretty leaves, some blush red or purple, and all are covered in sparkling dew. Their flowers are hummingbird and butterfly pollinated in the wild and because their pollinators are attracted to colorful flowers, they have beautiful flowers With long neck spurs! Many species will experience a winter succulent phase. A combination of shorter photo periods, cooler temperatures, and dryer conditions trigger this phase. While this phase is not necessary for the plant to thrive, it is often out of our control whether the plants do this or not. During their succulent phase, they grow small, rounded leaves that look very different from their large carnivorous leaves. Plants in this stage will be significantly smaller than they will be in carnivorous growth. The natural cycle of Pinguicula can lead them to be in succulent growth in spring, not starting their carnivorous growth until late spring sometimes even early summer. Watching them grow their carnivorous leaves is like watching a magic trick; tiny, tight leaves begin to transform into huge, sticky, carnivorous leaves! Pinguicula can easily propagate from leaf pullings, like a succulent. They will also form small clumps over time, dividing naturally. While they can have a long life, they won’t live forever, so it is a good idea to take pullings every year. They do not have significant root systems, and the roots they have are often minimal and very short. The roots can be white, transparent, or brown, and they use these roots mainly to anchor themselves to the soil's surface (they still offer benefits, though, so please do not cut them off). 

Sun: Full to part sun. Sunny windowsills indoors, in a temperature-regulated greenhouse, or under grow lights. In tropical parts of the world or very mild climates, they can be grown outdoors in dappled sun, morning sun only, or under shade cloth. They must be protected from the full afternoon sun. It is best to grow under 30% shade cloth in the summer months when grown in a greenhouse. They can benefit from 30% shade cloth if grown outdoors as well. If your plant is much greener than it should be, developing larger, more elongated leaves than normal for the species or hybrid, and does not have much dew, it may need more light. 

Water & Humidity: In the late spring, summer, and early autumn, Pinguicula can be kept in the tray system with overhead watering as long as they still have carnivorous foliage. This means setting the pots in a deep saucer or tray and routinely filling that with 1/4”-1/2” water. If grown in a non-draining pot, allow room to water and water overhead frequently to keep soil media moist, but do not water so deeply as to have standing water sitting on the surface of the soil; all the water should be absorbed. When the rosettes show their very first signs of growing their smaller, tighter succulent leaves immediately begin to dry out your plants. Keep the soil on the dry side, watering them only a little and let dry out in between watering. You can usually tell how dry a species enjoys its winter by the size of its succulent leaves. The tighter, smaller leafed rosettes such a Pinguicula gypsicola or the bulb-like heterophylla and macrophylla require bone-dry conditions. Species with larger winter leaves, like a few of the moranensis varieties or agnata, enjoy winters soils just slightly damp.  Cuban species should be kept wet year-round, with only slight winter drying. When these plants are transitioning between carnivorous and succulent growth they are at the most risk of rotting, so it is better to air on the side of drier when the temperatures start to get colder and the photo periods shorten. In spring, as soon as the temperatures start to warm and the photo periods lengthen, start watering your plants more. When carnivorous leaves start to grow, begin the tray method again. (If your plant decides it does not want to make carnivorous leaves, don’t worry, sometimes they are stubborn! Water frequently and make sure your plant gets lots of light, preferably some natural light from the sun as well, to try to trigger carnivorous leaf growth. But don’t worry if your ping stays in succulent mode for a whole year, eventually it will grow carnivorous leaves again!) Pinguicula are extremely susceptible to dissolved minerals and salts in their water and poor water quality will directly contribute to decline of plants and death. Be sure to only use rainwater, reverse osmosis water, or distilled water. Pinguicula prefer drier conditions and do not require high humidity.

Temperature: 50 degrees - 90 degrees. While not ideal, Pinguicula can tolerate brief nighttime dips to 40 as long as daytime temperatures warm back up and can tolerate brief heat waves over 90 as long as they are protected from the sun and sitting in water AND nighttime temperatures decrease. Cold temperatures are likely to kill Pinguicula, so avoid exposing them to anything below 50 if possible.

Dormancy: No true dormancy but does have a winter succulent phase during which the plant will produce small succulent leaves instead of flat sticky leaves. Pinguicula do not need this period of succulent growth to grow well. If your plant does not grow succulent leaves, there is no need to try to induce the transition. See the section on watering for in depth care during this time. 

Fertilizer: Apply Schultz Cactus Fertilizer once or twice a month to the leaves with a mister bottle, during the grow season. Do not apply in winter or during succulent winter mode. We use seven drops of fertilizer in 20 ounces of distilled water. 

Soil & Repotting: Pinguicula grow in very dry and rocky soil mixes, do not use a mix that holds a lot of moisture. We use equal parts sand, peat moss, pumice, and perlite. You can order our custom Pinguicula soil mix! These plants ship bare-root so you will have to order potting media and pot them up upon arrival. Pinguicula do not have extensive roots and anchor to the surface of their soil making them ideal candidates for quirky, cute, small, non-draining planters like teacups or vintage pottery. You can plant them in all variety of pots as long as they are glazed ceramic, glazed terracotta, glass or plastic. Avoid un-glazed terracotta. They can be in small pots and do not need much room for roots. Pinguicula are one of the most sensitive plants to a build of minerals and salts in their soil or water. Repot every year to refresh soil.

More Information: For more information on repotting, pests, growing habits, and more, check out our FAQ page or our YouTube channel!

Dionaea m. “Kraken” is an exciting cultivar selected from a cross of two giant flytrap cultivars; ‘Ginormous’ x ’BCP Titan.’ We have several clones from this cross, and all should be huge, fast-growing plants with long teeth and arching traps! We haven’t grown them out to their full potential yet, but they’re all sure to be monsters, so we’re naming them all after famous monsters with ravenous appetites and huge reputations. Grow them out with us to see which monster will be the biggest!

These are no longer in tissue culture, so there is a limited quantity! We are shipping small plants. The second-to-last photo shows their size. These small plants will grow rapidly in summer!

PLEASE NOTE VENUS FLYTRAPS GO DORMANT SEASONALLY, STARTING AS EARLY AS OCTOBER AND LASTING AS LATE AS MARCH, DEPENDING ON THE CONDITIONS. During this time, they appear relatively small and grow a few traps; please see the final photo to see how flytraps look when dormant. They will begin to grow vigorously again in Spring when photoperiods lengthen and temperatures increase.

Care Instructions:

Growth Habit: Venus flytraps are low-growing bog plants native to North and South Carolina. These plants grow their traps, modified leaves, from a rhizome that spreads over time. The traps will die back frequently all year, have high leaf turnover, and many new traps will grow throughout the spring and summer. In spring, the traps grow, often low to the ground and small. In summer, they grow their best traps, taller and more prominent. As Fall comes on, the traps start to die back, growing lower to the ground and smaller, and by winter, the plant will be dormant, with many or all of the traps gone, but the rhizome remains healthy and intact throughout winter dormancy even if you cannot see any traps growing. Venus flytraps have black roots, and not generally not many of them.

Sun: Full sun. Venus flytraps require lots of direct sun to grow and produce traps. In many areas, they can be grown outdoors in full sun. If you live in a very hot AND very dry place like Arizona or Sacramento, for example, you will want to grow your plants in full morning sun with protection from the afternoon sun or under 30% shade cloth. It is common for several traps/leaves to "burn" and die back when you first place your plant into the sun; your plant is acclimating to your conditions, and in most cases, new leaves will soon grow and be fully acclimated. Venus flytraps can be grown indoors, on extremely sunny windowsills, that receive all-day sun, but they will require a grow light in most circumstances due to the amount of light the plant needs. Grow lights should be 6-12” from the plant, depending on the light, and on a 10-12 hour day length. Venus flytraps generally are not a good candidate for a terrarium as they need intense light and good airflow. Grow outdoors if possible for best results.

Water: Always keep them in a saucer with a few inches of distilled, rainwater, or reverse osmosis water. Never let them dry out, especially in the hot summer months. Venus flytraps are bog plants that prefer water-logged conditions unless you live somewhere both very hot AND extremely humid, like Alabama. In that case, let the water tray dry out for a day or two between refills. Always use distilled, reverse osmosis, or rainwater only. These plants are especially sensitive to their water quality, and giving them mineral and salt-free water is very important. In winter, when the plants are dormant, you can let them dry out a bit between rain storms, but do not let the soil get so dry that it pulls away from the edges of the pots. Be sure to supplement water as needed in between rains in winter.

Temperature and Dormancy: These are warm-temperate plants, meaning they need warm summers and chilly winters. They should be grown outdoors year-round in areas with mild winters. They thrive in temperatures ranging from 20 degrees - 90F degrees and can take a brief freeze or high-temperature spike up to 105F degrees for a short period. If nighttime temps drop below 20 but rise again during the day above 40, your plant will be fine outside.

If you live in an area with very cold winters, where nighttime temperatures drop below 20 degrees for sustained periods, you have three options for providing them with winter dormancy: the garage method, mulching in, or the fridge method. Dormancy is triggered by a combination of exposure to shorter photo-periods and cooler temperatures in the 40-60's F. While you can skip a dormancy period once or twice, in the long term, your plant will begin to do poorly and will eventually die if you skip this crucial period.

The garage method: Bring your plant indoors to a sunny windowsill in an unheated room or garage, where the nighttime temperatures will dip down to 50-60F. Keep it well watered during this period, do not let it dry out, and put it outside again when the outside nighttime temperatures increase consistently above 20F.

The mulch method: Mulch them in very, very well outdoors. Pack at least four inches of mulch on top of the plants and all around the sides to prevent winds from chilling them and freezing the roots. You can also dig the pots into the ground and then mulch heavily on top.

The fridge method: remove the plants from pots, gently clean the roots of soil, wrap the roots in a bit of damp long-fibered New Zealand sphagnum moss, place the plants in a resealable bag, and put the bag into the refrigerator. Leave them in the fridge from October to February, periodically checking on them to ensure they are still moist and not growing mold or fungus. Pot them back up in February. You can vary the timing to align with your outside nighttime temperatures so that your plants can come out of dormancy when it is safe to place them back outside. You can leave them in the fridge for an extended period if you have very long winters.

Soil and Repotting: We prefer a mix of four-part fertilizer-free peat moss to one-part perlite. You can add our pre-made mix to your order here. You do not need to repot your plant when you receive it from us for at least a year, and we recommend against it during the spring-summer months. Repot Venus flytraps every 1-3 years in January or winter. Avoid placing in excessively larger pots; size up only a few inches at a time. They do well in tall pots. Soil can also develop a swampy smell, especially right after shipping when the plant is wrapped in plastic and sealed. This is normal; these plants grow naturally in bogs and swampy conditions, and peat moss can develop a bit of an anaerobic smell, but this does not indicate a problem with the soil. 

Feeding and Fertilizer: Venus flytraps will catch plenty of food when grown outdoors. When grown indoors, they will significantly benefit from fertilizing, a foliar fertilizer, and feeding the traps. Plants grown outdoors will appreciate a foliar feed as well. Apply MaxSea fertilizer once per month to the foliage only. Dilute 1/4 teaspoon of MaxSea into one gallon of water and then apply to the traps with a mister bottle. If you would like to feed the traps of your flytrap, it is recommended that you use live prey, as the traps usually require continued movement from their food to stimulate the complete absorption process. They will often open too soon if fed inert foods and do not absorb nutrients. We recommend live mealworms, which are available from any pet store. After digestion, Venus flytraps open back up, leaving the exoskeleton of their prey. They have liquified and absorbed the contents of the insect, but the exoskeleton remains. This does not need to be removed. Traps often die back after a big meal; new ones will grow, and the plant benefits greatly from the nutrients!

More Information: For further information on dormancy, repotting, dividing, and more, check out our website, Venus Flytrap Care, or our YouTube channel.

Dionaea m. “Eye of Sauron” is an exceptional plant! Each trap starts light red and slowly deepens to a dark, deep red in the center, like the famous Eye of Sauron. The plants grow many traps on tall petioles with long, white cilia and gently flared petioles. One of our absolute favorite flytraps of all time, “Eye of Sauron,” draws you in with its deep coloration and large trap size! It also is slow to go dormant.

These plants are not in tissue culture so are extremely rarely offered and limited in quantity. We are shipping small plants. The second-to-last photo shows their size. These small plants will grow rapidly in summer!

PLEASE NOTE VENUS FLYTRAPS GO DORMANT SEASONALLY, STARTING AS EARLY AS OCTOBER AND LASTING AS LATE AS MARCH, DEPENDING ON THE CONDITIONS. During this time, they appear relatively small and grow a few traps; please see the final photo to see how flytraps look when dormant. They will begin to grow vigorously again in Spring when photoperiods lengthen and temperatures increase.

Care Instructions:

Growth Habit: Venus flytraps are low-growing bog plants native to North and South Carolina. These plants grow their traps, modified leaves, from a rhizome that spreads over time. The traps will die back frequently all year, have high leaf turnover, and many new traps will grow throughout the spring and summer. In spring, the traps grow, often low to the ground and small. In summer, they grow their best traps, taller and more prominent. As Fall comes on, the traps start to die back, growing lower to the ground and smaller, and by winter, the plant will be dormant, with many or all of the traps gone, but the rhizome remains healthy and intact throughout winter dormancy even if you cannot see any traps growing. Venus flytraps have black roots, and not generally not many of them.

Sun: Full sun. Venus flytraps require lots of direct sun to grow and produce traps. In many areas, they can be grown outdoors in full sun. If you live in a very hot AND very dry place like Arizona or Sacramento, for example, you will want to grow your plants in full morning sun with protection from the afternoon sun or under 30% shade cloth. It is common for several traps/leaves to "burn" and die back when you first place your plant into the sun; your plant is acclimating to your conditions, and in most cases, new leaves will soon grow and be fully acclimated. Venus flytraps can be grown indoors, on extremely sunny windowsills, that receive all-day sun, but they will require a grow light in most circumstances due to the amount of light the plant needs. Grow lights should be 6-12” from the plant, depending on the light, and on a 10-12 hour day length. Venus flytraps generally are not a good candidate for a terrarium as they need intense light and good airflow. Grow outdoors if possible for best results.

Water: Always keep them in a saucer with a few inches of distilled, rainwater, or reverse osmosis water. Never let them dry out, especially in the hot summer months. Venus flytraps are bog plants that prefer water-logged conditions unless you live somewhere both very hot AND extremely humid, like Alabama. In that case, let the water tray dry out for a day or two between refills. Always use distilled, reverse osmosis, or rainwater only. These plants are especially sensitive to their water quality, and giving them mineral and salt-free water is very important. In winter, when the plants are dormant, you can let them dry out a bit between rain storms, but do not let the soil get so dry that it pulls away from the edges of the pots. Be sure to supplement water as needed in between rains in winter.

Temperature and Dormancy: These are warm-temperate plants, meaning they need warm summers and chilly winters. They should be grown outdoors year-round in areas with mild winters. They thrive in temperatures ranging from 20 degrees - 90F degrees and can take a brief freeze or high-temperature spike up to 105F degrees for a short period. If nighttime temps drop below 20 but rise again during the day above 40, your plant will be fine outside.

If you live in an area with very cold winters, where nighttime temperatures drop below 20 degrees for sustained periods, you have three options for providing them with winter dormancy: the garage method, mulching in, or the fridge method. Dormancy is triggered by a combination of exposure to shorter photo-periods and cooler temperatures in the 40-60's F. While you can skip a dormancy period once or twice, in the long term, your plant will begin to do poorly and will eventually die if you skip this crucial period.

The garage method: Bring your plant indoors to a sunny windowsill in an unheated room or garage, where the nighttime temperatures will dip down to 50-60F. Keep it well watered during this period, do not let it dry out, and put it outside again when the outside nighttime temperatures increase consistently above 20F.

The mulch method: Mulch them in very, very well outdoors. Pack at least four inches of mulch on top of the plants and all around the sides to prevent winds from chilling them and freezing the roots. You can also dig the pots into the ground and then mulch heavily on top.

The fridge method: remove the plants from pots, gently clean the roots of soil, wrap the roots in a bit of damp long-fibered New Zealand sphagnum moss, place the plants in a resealable bag, and put the bag into the refrigerator. Leave them in the fridge from October to February, periodically checking on them to ensure they are still moist and not growing mold or fungus. Pot them back up in February. You can vary the timing to align with your outside nighttime temperatures so that your plants can come out of dormancy when it is safe to place them back outside. You can leave them in the fridge for an extended period if you have very long winters.

Soil and Repotting: We prefer a mix of four-part fertilizer-free peat moss to one-part perlite. You can add our pre-made mix to your order here. You do not need to repot your plant when you receive it from us for at least a year, and we recommend against it during the spring-summer months. Repot Venus flytraps every 1-3 years in January or winter. Avoid placing in excessively larger pots; size up only a few inches at a time. They do well in tall pots. Soil can also develop a swampy smell, especially right after shipping when the plant is wrapped in plastic and sealed. This is normal; these plants grow naturally in bogs and swampy conditions, and peat moss can develop a bit of an anaerobic smell, but this does not indicate a problem with the soil. 

Feeding and Fertilizer: Venus flytraps will catch plenty of food when grown outdoors. When grown indoors, they will significantly benefit from fertilizing, a foliar fertilizer, and feeding the traps. Plants grown outdoors will appreciate a foliar feed as well. Apply MaxSea fertilizer once per month to the foliage only. Dilute 1/4 teaspoon of MaxSea into one gallon of water and then apply to the traps with a mister bottle. If you would like to feed the traps of your flytrap, it is recommended that you use live prey, as the traps usually require continued movement from their food to stimulate the complete absorption process. They will often open too soon if fed inert foods and do not absorb nutrients. We recommend live mealworms, which are available from any pet store. After digestion, Venus flytraps open back up, leaving the exoskeleton of their prey. They have liquified and absorbed the contents of the insect, but the exoskeleton remains. This does not need to be removed. Traps often die back after a big meal; new ones will grow, and the plant benefits greatly from the nutrients!

More Information: For further information on dormancy, repotting, dividing, and more, check out our website, Venus Flytrap Care, or our YouTube channel.

Sarracenia minor is one of our favorite species. Its unusual pitchers have an almost monkish, grinning appearance with a domed canopy over the mouth.  On the upper portion of the back side of the pitcher are many opaque light windows. These windows are the key to its unique trapping mechanism. When insects are led to the lip of the mouth by nectar trails, they find themselves in a darkened position due to the overhanging hood. Crawling insects are encouraged to enter the trap, which is much brighter due to the sunlight filtering in through the light windows.

Damon has crossed minor x minor ‘Giant’ before and they tend to become half-giants that top out at a foot and a half to two feet tall. We’re also hoping that some of these will have the same pink windows as their mom, though that’s not guaranteed. It’s still early in the season but these seedgrown plants are already coppery-orange and should deepen in color over time.

This species grows its pitchers later in the year so if you order in spring, they will have smaller growth than later in the year. X-Large divisions can either be multiple growth points or extra chonky rhizomes but may not be taller than a large plant.

DORMANT SEASONALLY, STARTING AS EARLY AS OCTOBER AND LASTING AS LATE AS MARCH, DEPENDING ON THE CONDITIONS AND SPECIES/HYBRID. The pitchers turn brown and die back to the rhizome, or non-carnivorous leaves (phyllodia) grow during this time. Please see the final photo to see how Sarracenia look when dormant. They will begin to grow vigorously again in Spring when photoperiods lengthen and temperatures increase.

Care Instructions:

Growth Habit: Sarracenia primarily grow along the Southeastern coastal plain of the United States. They grow pitchers, which are modified leaves, seasonally that can vary in height, color, and size depending on the species or hybrid. The pitchers can die back during the growing season, but new pitchers will grow throughout the spring and summer. The pitchers start to grow in spring, and many grow as the year progresses; in summer, they will be at their best. In summer, you may see brown or black on your pitchers, which can be normal nectar burn or crisping from heat. As Fall comes on, the pitchers may start to die back, turning brown, and by winter, many or all of the pitchers are brown, but the rhizome remains healthy and intact throughout winter dormancy even if you cannot see anything growing. Sarracenia have brown, black, or white roots and do not generally have many of them. The rhizome can be brown and still be healthy.

Sun: Full sun. Sarracenia require lots of direct sun to grow and form pitchers properly. In many areas, they can be grown outdoors in full sun. If you live in a very hot AND very dry place like Arizona or Sacramento, for example, you will want to grow your plants in full morning sun with protection from the afternoon sun or under 30% shade cloth. It is common for several pitchers to "burn" and die back when you first place your plant into the sun; your plant is acclimating to your conditions, and in most cases, new leaves will soon grow and be fully acclimated. Sarracenia can be grown indoors on extremely sunny windowsills that receive all-day sun, but they will require a grow light in most circumstances due to the amount of light the plant needs. Grow lights should be 6-12” from the plant, depending on the light, and on a 10-12 hour day length. Sarracenia generally are not a good candidate for a terrarium as they need intense light and get quite tall. Shorter species like Sarracenia purpurea will do better in a terrarium. Grow outdoors if possible for best results.

Water: Always keep them in a saucer with a few inches of distilled, rainwater, or reverse osmosis water. Never let them dry out, especially in the hot summer months. Sarracenia are bog plants that prefer water-logged conditions unless you live somewhere both very hot AND extremely humid, like Alabama. In that case, let the water tray dry out for a day or two between refills. Always use distilled, reverse osmosis, or rainwater only. These plants are sensitive to their water quality, and giving them mineral and salt-free water is very important. In winter, when the plants are dormant, you can let them dry out a bit between rain storms, but do not let the soil get so dry that it pulls away from the edges of the pots. Be sure to supplement water as needed in between rains in winter.

Temperature and Dormancy: These are warm-temperate plants, meaning they need warm summers and chilly winters. They should be grown outdoors year-round in areas with mild winters. They thrive in temperatures ranging from 20 degrees - 100F degrees and can take a brief freeze or high-temperature spike up to 105F degrees for a short period. If nighttime temps drop below 20 but rise again during the day above 40, your plant will be fine outside.

If you live in an area with very cold winters, where nighttime temperatures drop below 20 degrees for sustained periods, you have three options for providing them with winter dormancy: the garage method, mulching in, or the fridge method. Dormancy is triggered by a combination of exposure to shorter photo-periods and cooler temperatures in the 40-60's F. While you can skip a dormancy period once or twice, in the long term, your plant will begin to do poorly and will eventually die if you skip this crucial period.

The garage method: Bring your plant indoors to a sunny windowsill in an unheated room or garage, where the nighttime temperatures will dip down to 50-60F. Keep it well watered during this period, do not let it dry out, and put it outside again when the outside nighttime temperatures increase consistently above 20F.

The mulch method: Mulch them in very, very well outdoors. Pack at least four inches of mulch on top of the plants and all around the sides to prevent winds from chilling them and freezing the roots. You can also dig the pots into the ground and then mulch heavily on top.

The fridge method: remove the plants from pots, gently clean the roots of soil, wrap the roots in a bit of damp long-fibered New Zealand sphagnum moss, place the plants in a resealable bag, and put the bag into the refrigerator. Leave them in the fridge from October to February, periodically checking on them to ensure they are still moist and not growing mold or fungus. Pot them back up in February. You can vary the timing to align with your outside nighttime temperatures so that your plants can come out of dormancy when it is safe to place them back outside. You can leave them in the fridge for an extended period if you have very long winters.

Soil and Repotting: We prefer a mix of four-part fertilizer-free peat moss to one-part perlite. You can add our pre-made mix to your order here. You do not need to repot your plant when you receive it from us for at least a year, and we recommend against it during the spring-summer months. Repot Sarracenia every 1-3 years in winter when they are dormant. Avoid placing in excessively large pots; size up only a few inches at a time. They do well in tall pots. Soil can also develop a swampy smell, especially right after shipping, when the plant is wrapped in plastic and sealed. This is normal; these plants grow naturally in bogs and swampy conditions, and peat moss can develop a bit of an anaerobic smell, but this does not indicate a problem with the soil. 

Feeding and Fertilizer: Sarracenia will catch plenty of food when grown outdoors. When grown indoors, they will significantly benefit from fertilizing, both a foliar fertilizer and feeding the pitchers. Plants grown outdoors will appreciate a foliar feed as well. Apply MaxSea fertilizer once per month to the foliage only. Dilute 1/4 teaspoon of MaxSea into one gallon of water and then apply to the pitchers, and inside the pitchers, with a mister bottle or a watering can. Osmocote slow-release flower and vegetable pellets can be dropped into the pitchers with a bit of distilled water. Pellets can burn the sides of the pitchers where they come to rest; that is normal.

More Information: For further information on dormancy, repotting, dividing, and more, check out our website or our YouTube channel.

Lilium iridollae is a beautiful companion plant to bog growing carnivorous plants. Native to the southeastern coastal plain, it grows in the same conditions as Sarracenia. In some regions it is known as the “Panhandle Lily” or the “Pot of Gold Lily”.

These lilies can grow to six feet tall with a single, large flower that hangs down! The flowers can range in color from orange to pale yellow. They are truly stunning when they bloom and are an amazing addition to any bog garden.

This clone is exceptionally rare and has beautiful, purple leaves! Extremely rare in cultivation. And limited in quantity. 

These plants die back in winter with no visible growth until late spring or summer. If you order in winter or early spring, expect to see NO GROWTH yet. They have relatively small stems and leaves in spring and early summer as well!

Care Instructions
Sun: Full sun outdoors
Water: Always sitting in at least two inches of distilled or purified water
Temperature: 20 degrees - 80 degrees, can even take temperatures from freezing to 100 degrees but only for short periods
Dormancy: None needed.

Sarracenia ( x “Lemon Meringue” ) x ( leucophylla “Giant Red MKL18 x self” ) is a stunning new hybrid for 2026! Sarracenia x “Lemon Meringue” is one of Damon’s creations known for its lovely, lemony color and exaggerated lid! He’s combined that with a huge, vivid-red leucophylla and we expect these plants to have nice size, beautiful red and cream coloration and extra beautiful lids!

These seed-grown plants have variability in size, form, and color! X-Large sized plants do not indicate a taller plant, but a plant with multiple growth points.

DORMANT SEASONALLY, STARTING AS EARLY AS OCTOBER AND LASTING AS LATE AS MARCH, DEPENDING ON THE CONDITIONS AND SPECIES/HYBRID. The pitchers turn brown and die back to the rhizome, or non-carnivorous leaves (phyllodia) grow during this time. Please see the final photo to see how Sarracenia look when dormant. They will begin to grow vigorously again in Spring when photoperiods lengthen and temperatures increase.

Care Instructions:

Growth Habit: Sarracenia primarily grow along the Southeastern coastal plain of the United States. They grow pitchers, which are modified leaves, seasonally that can vary in height, color, and size depending on the species or hybrid. The pitchers can die back during the growing season, but new pitchers will grow throughout the spring and summer. The pitchers start to grow in spring, and many grow as the year progresses; in summer, they will be at their best. In summer, you may see brown or black on your pitchers, which can be normal nectar burn or crisping from heat. As Fall comes on, the pitchers may start to die back, turning brown, and by winter, many or all of the pitchers are brown, but the rhizome remains healthy and intact throughout winter dormancy even if you cannot see anything growing. Sarracenia have brown, black, or white roots and do not generally have many of them. The rhizome can be brown and still be healthy.

Sun: Full sun. Sarracenia require lots of direct sun to grow and form pitchers properly. In many areas, they can be grown outdoors in full sun. If you live in a very hot AND very dry place like Arizona or Sacramento, for example, you will want to grow your plants in full morning sun with protection from the afternoon sun or under 30% shade cloth. It is common for several pitchers to "burn" and die back when you first place your plant into the sun; your plant is acclimating to your conditions, and in most cases, new leaves will soon grow and be fully acclimated. Sarracenia can be grown indoors on extremely sunny windowsills that receive all-day sun, but they will require a grow light in most circumstances due to the amount of light the plant needs. Grow lights should be 6-12” from the plant, depending on the light, and on a 10-12 hour day length. Sarracenia generally are not a good candidate for a terrarium as they need intense light and get quite tall. Shorter species like Sarracenia purpurea will do better in a terrarium. Grow outdoors if possible for best results.

Water: Always keep them in a saucer with a few inches of distilled, rainwater, or reverse osmosis water. Never let them dry out, especially in the hot summer months. Sarracenia are bog plants that prefer water-logged conditions unless you live somewhere both very hot AND extremely humid, like Alabama. In that case, let the water tray dry out for a day or two between refills. Always use distilled, reverse osmosis, or rainwater only. These plants are sensitive to their water quality, and giving them mineral and salt-free water is very important. In winter, when the plants are dormant, you can let them dry out a bit between rain storms, but do not let the soil get so dry that it pulls away from the edges of the pots. Be sure to supplement water as needed in between rains in winter.

Temperature and Dormancy: These are warm-temperate plants, meaning they need warm summers and chilly winters. They should be grown outdoors year-round in areas with mild winters. They thrive in temperatures ranging from 20 degrees - 100F degrees and can take a brief freeze or high-temperature spike up to 105F degrees for a short period. If nighttime temps drop below 20 but rise again during the day above 40, your plant will be fine outside.

If you live in an area with very cold winters, where nighttime temperatures drop below 20 degrees for sustained periods, you have three options for providing them with winter dormancy: the garage method, mulching in, or the fridge method. Dormancy is triggered by a combination of exposure to shorter photo-periods and cooler temperatures in the 40-60's F. While you can skip a dormancy period once or twice, in the long term, your plant will begin to do poorly and will eventually die if you skip this crucial period.

The garage method: Bring your plant indoors to a sunny windowsill in an unheated room or garage, where the nighttime temperatures will dip down to 50-60F. Keep it well watered during this period, do not let it dry out, and put it outside again when the outside nighttime temperatures increase consistently above 20F.

The mulch method: Mulch them in very, very well outdoors. Pack at least four inches of mulch on top of the plants and all around the sides to prevent winds from chilling them and freezing the roots. You can also dig the pots into the ground and then mulch heavily on top.

The fridge method: remove the plants from pots, gently clean the roots of soil, wrap the roots in a bit of damp long-fibered New Zealand sphagnum moss, place the plants in a resealable bag, and put the bag into the refrigerator. Leave them in the fridge from October to February, periodically checking on them to ensure they are still moist and not growing mold or fungus. Pot them back up in February. You can vary the timing to align with your outside nighttime temperatures so that your plants can come out of dormancy when it is safe to place them back outside. You can leave them in the fridge for an extended period if you have very long winters.

Soil and Repotting: We prefer a mix of four-part fertilizer-free peat moss to one-part perlite. You can add our pre-made mix to your order here. You do not need to repot your plant when you receive it from us for at least a year, and we recommend against it during the spring-summer months. Repot Sarracenia every 1-3 years in winter when they are dormant. Avoid placing in excessively large pots; size up only a few inches at a time. They do well in tall pots. Soil can also develop a swampy smell, especially right after shipping, when the plant is wrapped in plastic and sealed. This is normal; these plants grow naturally in bogs and swampy conditions, and peat moss can develop a bit of an anaerobic smell, but this does not indicate a problem with the soil. 

Feeding and Fertilizer: Sarracenia will catch plenty of food when grown outdoors. When grown indoors, they will significantly benefit from fertilizing, both a foliar fertilizer and feeding the pitchers. Plants grown outdoors will appreciate a foliar feed as well. Apply MaxSea fertilizer once per month to the foliage only. Dilute 1/4 teaspoon of MaxSea into one gallon of water and then apply to the pitchers, and inside the pitchers, with a mister bottle or a watering can. Osmocote slow-release flower and vegetable pellets can be dropped into the pitchers with a bit of distilled water. Pellets can burn the sides of the pitchers where they come to rest; that is normal.

More Information: For further information on dormancy, repotting, dividing, and more, check out our website or our YouTube channel.

Pinguicula x “Arsenic & Old Lace” is a new introduction for 2026! “Arsenic & Old Lace” is another relatively petite plant, perfect for the teapot or whimsical potting. Here at CalCarn we always call flowers like this “vintage colors” because these rosy pinks remind us of the colors decorating our grandmothers houses! This sort of ornate venation of the flower is highly sought after and yet hard to produce with hybridization. Just like Arsenic & Old Lace, this little lady is Cute, but Deadly!

The plants we ship are about 1” and will be 1-2” at full growth. 

This plant will not come potted; you will need to pot it up upon arrival. Mexican/Tropical Pinguicula prefer our sandy PINGUICULA SOIL MIX.

IF YOU ORDER IN WINTER/EARLY SPRING YOUR PLANT MAY ARRIVE IN WINTER SUCCULENT MODE. DURING THIS TIME, IT WILL GROW SUBSTANTIALLY SMALLER, TIGHT, SUCCULENT LEAVES. DO NOT OVER WATER DURING THIS TIME. IT WILL GROW CARNIVOROUS LEAVES IN THE SPRING.

Care Instructions

Growth Habit: Pinguicula are generally small plants; depending on the species and growth phase, they can range from 1/2” to 8” across at maturity. Most are 2-4” across. They form rosettes of leaves covered in glistening dew, which have a high turnover rate, meaning that they die back frequently, and new leaves grow at the center from the plant. They have pretty leaves, some blush red or purple, and all are covered in sparkling dew. Their flowers are hummingbird and butterfly pollinated in the wild and because their pollinators are attracted to colorful flowers, they have beautiful flowers With long neck spurs! Many species will experience a winter succulent phase. A combination of shorter photo periods, cooler temperatures, and dryer conditions trigger this phase. While this phase is not necessary for the plant to thrive, it is often out of our control whether the plants do this or not. During their succulent phase, they grow small, rounded leaves that look very different from their large carnivorous leaves. Plants in this stage will be significantly smaller than they will be in carnivorous growth. The natural cycle of Pinguicula can lead them to be in succulent growth in spring, not starting their carnivorous growth until late spring sometimes even early summer. Watching them grow their carnivorous leaves is like watching a magic trick; tiny, tight leaves begin to transform into huge, sticky, carnivorous leaves! Pinguicula can easily propagate from leaf pullings, like a succulent. They will also form small clumps over time, dividing naturally. While they can have a long life, they won’t live forever, so it is a good idea to take pullings every year. They do not have significant root systems, and the roots they have are often minimal and very short. The roots can be white, transparent, or brown, and they use these roots mainly to anchor themselves to the soil's surface (they still offer benefits, though, so please do not cut them off). 

Sun: Full to part sun. Sunny windowsills indoors, in a temperature-regulated greenhouse, or under grow lights. In tropical parts of the world or very mild climates, they can be grown outdoors in dappled sun, morning sun only, or under shade cloth. They must be protected from the full afternoon sun. It is best to grow under 30% shade cloth in the summer months when grown in a greenhouse. They can benefit from 30% shade cloth if grown outdoors as well. If your plant is much greener than it should be, developing larger, more elongated leaves than normal for the species or hybrid, and does not have much dew, it may need more light. 

Water & Humidity: In the late spring, summer, and early autumn, Pinguicula can be kept in the tray system with overhead watering as long as they still have carnivorous foliage. This means setting the pots in a deep saucer or tray and routinely filling that with 1/4”-1/2” water. If grown in a non-draining pot, allow room to water and water overhead frequently to keep soil media moist, but do not water so deeply as to have standing water sitting on the surface of the soil; all the water should be absorbed. When the rosettes show their very first signs of growing their smaller, tighter succulent leaves immediately begin to dry out your plants. Keep the soil on the dry side, watering them only a little and let dry out in between watering. You can usually tell how dry a species enjoys its winter by the size of its succulent leaves. The tighter, smaller leafed rosettes such a Pinguicula gypsicola or the bulb-like heterophylla and macrophylla require bone-dry conditions. Species with larger winter leaves, like a few of the moranensis varieties or agnata, enjoy winters soils just slightly damp.  Cuban species should be kept wet year-round, with only slight winter drying. When these plants are transitioning between carnivorous and succulent growth they are at the most risk of rotting, so it is better to air on the side of drier when the temperatures start to get colder and the photo periods shorten. In spring, as soon as the temperatures start to warm and the photo periods lengthen, start watering your plants more. When carnivorous leaves start to grow, begin the tray method again. (If your plant decides it does not want to make carnivorous leaves, don’t worry, sometimes they are stubborn! Water frequently and make sure your plant gets lots of light, preferably some natural light from the sun as well, to try to trigger carnivorous leaf growth. But don’t worry if your ping stays in succulent mode for a whole year, eventually it will grow carnivorous leaves again!) Pinguicula are extremely susceptible to dissolved minerals and salts in their water and poor water quality will directly contribute to decline of plants and death. Be sure to only use rainwater, reverse osmosis water, or distilled water. Pinguicula prefer drier conditions and do not require high humidity.

Temperature: 50 degrees - 90 degrees. While not ideal, Pinguicula can tolerate brief nighttime dips to 40 as long as daytime temperatures warm back up and can tolerate brief heat waves over 90 as long as they are protected from the sun and sitting in water AND nighttime temperatures decrease. Cold temperatures are likely to kill Pinguicula, so avoid exposing them to anything below 50 if possible.

Dormancy: No true dormancy but does have a winter succulent phase during which the plant will produce small succulent leaves instead of flat sticky leaves. Pinguicula do not need this period of succulent growth to grow well. If your plant does not grow succulent leaves, there is no need to try to induce the transition. See the section on watering for in depth care during this time. 

Fertilizer: Apply Schultz Cactus Fertilizer once or twice a month to the leaves with a mister bottle, during the grow season. Do not apply in winter or during succulent winter mode. We use seven drops of fertilizer in 20 ounces of distilled water. 

Soil & Repotting: Pinguicula grow in very dry and rocky soil mixes, do not use a mix that holds a lot of moisture. We use equal parts sand, peat moss, pumice, and perlite. You can order our custom Pinguicula soil mix! These plants ship bare-root so you will have to order potting media and pot them up upon arrival. Pinguicula do not have extensive roots and anchor to the surface of their soil making them ideal candidates for quirky, cute, small, non-draining planters like teacups or vintage pottery. You can plant them in all variety of pots as long as they are glazed ceramic, glazed terracotta, glass or plastic. Avoid un-glazed terracotta. They can be in small pots and do not need much room for roots. Pinguicula are one of the most sensitive plants to a build of minerals and salts in their soil or water. Repot every year to refresh soil.

More Information: For more information on repotting, pests, growing habits, and more, check out our FAQ page or our YouTube channel!

Sarraceia rubra ssp. wherryi is rather similar in appearance to subspecies albamensis, this plant is limited to southern Alabama. The spring pitchers are thin and wispy, the summer pitchers can be 12-16" tall with a very elegant form and a red line down the front of the ala. The cute red flowers smell like raspberries in the spring.

These are divisions and seed-grown plants from near Tibbie in Washington County, Alabama. This is a smaller species and it grows later in the year.

DORMANT SEASONALLY, STARTING AS EARLY AS OCTOBER AND LASTING AS LATE AS MARCH, DEPENDING ON THE CONDITIONS AND SPECIES/HYBRID. The pitchers turn brown and die back to the rhizome, or non-carnivorous leaves (phyllodia) grow during this time. Please see the final photo to see how Sarracenia look when dormant. They will begin to grow vigorously again in Spring when photoperiods lengthen and temperatures increase.

Care Instructions:

Growth Habit: Sarracenia primarily grow along the Southeastern coastal plain of the United States. They grow pitchers, which are modified leaves, seasonally that can vary in height, color, and size depending on the species or hybrid. The pitchers can die back during the growing season, but new pitchers will grow throughout the spring and summer. The pitchers start to grow in spring, and many grow as the year progresses; in summer, they will be at their best. In summer, you may see brown or black on your pitchers, which can be normal nectar burn or crisping from heat. As Fall comes on, the pitchers may start to die back, turning brown, and by winter, many or all of the pitchers are brown, but the rhizome remains healthy and intact throughout winter dormancy even if you cannot see anything growing. Sarracenia have brown, black, or white roots and do not generally have many of them. The rhizome can be brown and still be healthy.

Sun: Full sun. Sarracenia require lots of direct sun to grow and form pitchers properly. In many areas, they can be grown outdoors in full sun. If you live in a very hot AND very dry place like Arizona or Sacramento, for example, you will want to grow your plants in full morning sun with protection from the afternoon sun or under 30% shade cloth. It is common for several pitchers to "burn" and die back when you first place your plant into the sun; your plant is acclimating to your conditions, and in most cases, new leaves will soon grow and be fully acclimated. Sarracenia can be grown indoors on extremely sunny windowsills that receive all-day sun, but they will require a grow light in most circumstances due to the amount of light the plant needs. Grow lights should be 6-12” from the plant, depending on the light, and on a 10-12 hour day length. Sarracenia generally are not a good candidate for a terrarium as they need intense light and get quite tall. Shorter species like Sarracenia purpurea will do better in a terrarium. Grow outdoors if possible for best results.

Water: Always keep them in a saucer with a few inches of distilled, rainwater, or reverse osmosis water. Never let them dry out, especially in the hot summer months. Sarracenia are bog plants that prefer water-logged conditions unless you live somewhere both very hot AND extremely humid, like Alabama. In that case, let the water tray dry out for a day or two between refills. Always use distilled, reverse osmosis, or rainwater only. These plants are sensitive to their water quality, and giving them mineral and salt-free water is very important. In winter, when the plants are dormant, you can let them dry out a bit between rain storms, but do not let the soil get so dry that it pulls away from the edges of the pots. Be sure to supplement water as needed in between rains in winter.

Temperature and Dormancy: These are warm-temperate plants, meaning they need warm summers and chilly winters. They should be grown outdoors year-round in areas with mild winters. They thrive in temperatures ranging from 20 degrees - 100F degrees and can take a brief freeze or high-temperature spike up to 105F degrees for a short period. If nighttime temps drop below 20 but rise again during the day above 40, your plant will be fine outside.

If you live in an area with very cold winters, where nighttime temperatures drop below 20 degrees for sustained periods, you have three options for providing them with winter dormancy: the garage method, mulching in, or the fridge method. Dormancy is triggered by a combination of exposure to shorter photo-periods and cooler temperatures in the 40-60's F. While you can skip a dormancy period once or twice, in the long term, your plant will begin to do poorly and will eventually die if you skip this crucial period.

The garage method: Bring your plant indoors to a sunny windowsill in an unheated room or garage, where the nighttime temperatures will dip down to 50-60F. Keep it well watered during this period, do not let it dry out, and put it outside again when the outside nighttime temperatures increase consistently above 20F.

The mulch method: Mulch them in very, very well outdoors. Pack at least four inches of mulch on top of the plants and all around the sides to prevent winds from chilling them and freezing the roots. You can also dig the pots into the ground and then mulch heavily on top.

The fridge method: remove the plants from pots, gently clean the roots of soil, wrap the roots in a bit of damp long-fibered New Zealand sphagnum moss, place the plants in a resealable bag, and put the bag into the refrigerator. Leave them in the fridge from October to February, periodically checking on them to ensure they are still moist and not growing mold or fungus. Pot them back up in February. You can vary the timing to align with your outside nighttime temperatures so that your plants can come out of dormancy when it is safe to place them back outside. You can leave them in the fridge for an extended period if you have very long winters.

Soil and Repotting: We prefer a mix of four-part fertilizer-free peat moss to one-part perlite. You can add our pre-made mix to your order here. You do not need to repot your plant when you receive it from us for at least a year, and we recommend against it during the spring-summer months. Repot Sarracenia every 1-3 years in winter when they are dormant. Avoid placing in excessively large pots; size up only a few inches at a time. They do well in tall pots. Soil can also develop a swampy smell, especially right after shipping, when the plant is wrapped in plastic and sealed. This is normal; these plants grow naturally in bogs and swampy conditions, and peat moss can develop a bit of an anaerobic smell, but this does not indicate a problem with the soil. 

Feeding and Fertilizer: Sarracenia will catch plenty of food when grown outdoors. When grown indoors, they will significantly benefit from fertilizing, both a foliar fertilizer and feeding the pitchers. Plants grown outdoors will appreciate a foliar feed as well. Apply MaxSea fertilizer once per month to the foliage only. Dilute 1/4 teaspoon of MaxSea into one gallon of water and then apply to the pitchers, and inside the pitchers, with a mister bottle or a watering can. Osmocote slow-release flower and vegetable pellets can be dropped into the pitchers with a bit of distilled water. Pellets can burn the sides of the pitchers where they come to rest; that is normal.

More Information: For further information on dormancy, repotting, dividing, and more, check out our website or our YouTube channel.

Pinguicula x “Lilac Pinecone” is a new introduction for 2026! This adorable plant does the tightest, succulent winter rosettes like little pinecones nestled in the soil. The delicate flowers come out of these pinecones and blush lilac-purple with all their petals reaching forward.   

The plants we ship are about 1” and will be 2-4” at full growth. These plants will stay small and cute! They were bred to stay petite!

This plant will not come potted; you will need to pot it up upon arrival. Mexican/Tropical Pinguicula prefer our sandy PINGUICULA SOIL MIX.

IF YOU ORDER IN WINTER/EARLY SPRING YOUR PLANT MAY ARRIVE IN WINTER SUCCULENT MODE. DURING THIS TIME, IT WILL GROW SUBSTANTIALLY SMALLER, TIGHT, SUCCULENT LEAVES. DO NOT OVER WATER DURING THIS TIME. IT WILL GROW CARNIVOROUS LEAVES IN THE SPRING.

Care Instructions

Growth Habit: Pinguicula are generally small plants; depending on the species and growth phase, they can range from 1/2” to 8” across at maturity. Most are 2-4” across. They form rosettes of leaves covered in glistening dew, which have a high turnover rate, meaning that they die back frequently, and new leaves grow at the center from the plant. They have pretty leaves, some blush red or purple, and all are covered in sparkling dew. Their flowers are hummingbird and butterfly pollinated in the wild and because their pollinators are attracted to colorful flowers, they have beautiful flowers With long neck spurs! Many species will experience a winter succulent phase. A combination of shorter photo periods, cooler temperatures, and dryer conditions trigger this phase. While this phase is not necessary for the plant to thrive, it is often out of our control whether the plants do this or not. During their succulent phase, they grow small, rounded leaves that look very different from their large carnivorous leaves. Plants in this stage will be significantly smaller than they will be in carnivorous growth. The natural cycle of Pinguicula can lead them to be in succulent growth in spring, not starting their carnivorous growth until late spring sometimes even early summer. Watching them grow their carnivorous leaves is like watching a magic trick; tiny, tight leaves begin to transform into huge, sticky, carnivorous leaves! Pinguicula can easily propagate from leaf pullings, like a succulent. They will also form small clumps over time, dividing naturally. While they can have a long life, they won’t live forever, so it is a good idea to take pullings every year. They do not have significant root systems, and the roots they have are often minimal and very short. The roots can be white, transparent, or brown, and they use these roots mainly to anchor themselves to the soil's surface (they still offer benefits, though, so please do not cut them off). 

Sun: Full to part sun. Sunny windowsills indoors, in a temperature-regulated greenhouse, or under grow lights. In tropical parts of the world or very mild climates, they can be grown outdoors in dappled sun, morning sun only, or under shade cloth. They must be protected from the full afternoon sun. It is best to grow under 30% shade cloth in the summer months when grown in a greenhouse. They can benefit from 30% shade cloth if grown outdoors as well. If your plant is much greener than it should be, developing larger, more elongated leaves than normal for the species or hybrid, and does not have much dew, it may need more light. 

Water & Humidity: In the late spring, summer, and early autumn, Pinguicula can be kept in the tray system with overhead watering as long as they still have carnivorous foliage. This means setting the pots in a deep saucer or tray and routinely filling that with 1/4”-1/2” water. If grown in a non-draining pot, allow room to water and water overhead frequently to keep soil media moist, but do not water so deeply as to have standing water sitting on the surface of the soil; all the water should be absorbed. When the rosettes show their very first signs of growing their smaller, tighter succulent leaves immediately begin to dry out your plants. Keep the soil on the dry side, watering them only a little and let dry out in between watering. You can usually tell how dry a species enjoys its winter by the size of its succulent leaves. The tighter, smaller leafed rosettes such a Pinguicula gypsicola or the bulb-like heterophylla and macrophylla require bone-dry conditions. Species with larger winter leaves, like a few of the moranensis varieties or agnata, enjoy winters soils just slightly damp.  Cuban species should be kept wet year-round, with only slight winter drying. When these plants are transitioning between carnivorous and succulent growth they are at the most risk of rotting, so it is better to air on the side of drier when the temperatures start to get colder and the photo periods shorten. In spring, as soon as the temperatures start to warm and the photo periods lengthen, start watering your plants more. When carnivorous leaves start to grow, begin the tray method again. (If your plant decides it does not want to make carnivorous leaves, don’t worry, sometimes they are stubborn! Water frequently and make sure your plant gets lots of light, preferably some natural light from the sun as well, to try to trigger carnivorous leaf growth. But don’t worry if your ping stays in succulent mode for a whole year, eventually it will grow carnivorous leaves again!) Pinguicula are extremely susceptible to dissolved minerals and salts in their water and poor water quality will directly contribute to decline of plants and death. Be sure to only use rainwater, reverse osmosis water, or distilled water. Pinguicula prefer drier conditions and do not require high humidity.

Temperature: 50 degrees - 90 degrees. While not ideal, Pinguicula can tolerate brief nighttime dips to 40 as long as daytime temperatures warm back up and can tolerate brief heat waves over 90 as long as they are protected from the sun and sitting in water AND nighttime temperatures decrease. Cold temperatures are likely to kill Pinguicula, so avoid exposing them to anything below 50 if possible.

Dormancy: No true dormancy but does have a winter succulent phase during which the plant will produce small succulent leaves instead of flat sticky leaves. Pinguicula do not need this period of succulent growth to grow well. If your plant does not grow succulent leaves, there is no need to try to induce the transition. See the section on watering for in depth care during this time. 

Fertilizer: Apply Schultz Cactus Fertilizer once or twice a month to the leaves with a mister bottle, during the grow season. Do not apply in winter or during succulent winter mode. We use seven drops of fertilizer in 20 ounces of distilled water. 

Soil & Repotting: Pinguicula grow in very dry and rocky soil mixes, do not use a mix that holds a lot of moisture. We use equal parts sand, peat moss, pumice, and perlite. You can order our custom Pinguicula soil mix! These plants ship bare-root so you will have to order potting media and pot them up upon arrival. Pinguicula do not have extensive roots and anchor to the surface of their soil making them ideal candidates for quirky, cute, small, non-draining planters like teacups or vintage pottery. You can plant them in all variety of pots as long as they are glazed ceramic, glazed terracotta, glass or plastic. Avoid un-glazed terracotta. They can be in small pots and do not need much room for roots. Pinguicula are one of the most sensitive plants to a build of minerals and salts in their soil or water. Repot every year to refresh soil.

More Information: For more information on repotting, pests, growing habits, and more, check out our FAQ page or our YouTube channel!

Pinguicula x “Raspberry Ripple” has a child, and it’s “Sangria Ripple!” We’re blown away by how beautiful this plummy-colored flower is! It has the same full, gently rippling petals of “Raspberry Ripple” with an amazing depth of color. Better still, its rosettes are brightly colored like a glass of sangria! Grow them under strong lights to bring out the best in their color. 

The plants we are shipping are about the size of a quarter and will grow to 2-4” at full growth.

This plant will not come potted; you will need to pot it up upon arrival. Mexican/Tropical Pinguicula prefer our sandy PINGUICULA SOIL MIX.

IF YOU ORDER IN WINTER/EARLY SPRING YOUR PLANT MAY ARRIVE IN WINTER SUCCULENT MODE. DURING THIS TIME, IT WILL GROW SUBSTANTIALLY SMALLER, TIGHT, SUCCULENT LEAVES. DO NOT OVER WATER DURING THIS TIME. IT WILL GROW CARNIVOROUS LEAVES IN THE SPRING.

Care Instructions

Growth Habit: Pinguicula are generally small plants; depending on the species and growth phase, they can range from 1/2” to 8” across at maturity. Most are 2-4” across. They form rosettes of leaves covered in glistening dew, which have a high turnover rate, meaning that they die back frequently, and new leaves grow at the center from the plant. They have pretty leaves, some blush red or purple, and all are covered in sparkling dew. Their flowers are hummingbird and butterfly pollinated in the wild and because their pollinators are attracted to colorful flowers, they have beautiful flowers With long neck spurs! Many species will experience a winter succulent phase. A combination of shorter photo periods, cooler temperatures, and dryer conditions trigger this phase. While this phase is not necessary for the plant to thrive, it is often out of our control whether the plants do this or not. During their succulent phase, they grow small, rounded leaves that look very different from their large carnivorous leaves. Plants in this stage will be significantly smaller than they will be in carnivorous growth. The natural cycle of Pinguicula can lead them to be in succulent growth in spring, not starting their carnivorous growth until late spring sometimes even early summer. Watching them grow their carnivorous leaves is like watching a magic trick; tiny, tight leaves begin to transform into huge, sticky, carnivorous leaves! Pinguicula can easily propagate from leaf pullings, like a succulent. They will also form small clumps over time, dividing naturally. While they can have a long life, they won’t live forever, so it is a good idea to take pullings every year. They do not have significant root systems, and the roots they have are often minimal and very short. The roots can be white, transparent, or brown, and they use these roots mainly to anchor themselves to the soil's surface (they still offer benefits, though, so please do not cut them off). 

Sun: Full to part sun. Sunny windowsills indoors, in a temperature-regulated greenhouse, or under grow lights. In tropical parts of the world or very mild climates, they can be grown outdoors in dappled sun, morning sun only, or under shade cloth. They must be protected from the full afternoon sun. It is best to grow under 30% shade cloth in the summer months when grown in a greenhouse. They can benefit from 30% shade cloth if grown outdoors as well. If your plant is much greener than it should be, developing larger, more elongated leaves than normal for the species or hybrid, and does not have much dew, it may need more light. 

Water & Humidity: In the late spring, summer, and early autumn, Pinguicula can be kept in the tray system with overhead watering as long as they still have carnivorous foliage. This means setting the pots in a deep saucer or tray and routinely filling that with 1/4”-1/2” water. If grown in a non-draining pot, allow room to water and water overhead frequently to keep soil media moist, but do not water so deeply as to have standing water sitting on the surface of the soil; all the water should be absorbed. When the rosettes show their very first signs of growing their smaller, tighter succulent leaves immediately begin to dry out your plants. Keep the soil on the dry side, watering them only a little and let dry out in between watering. You can usually tell how dry a species enjoys its winter by the size of its succulent leaves. The tighter, smaller leafed rosettes such a Pinguicula gypsicola or the bulb-like heterophylla and macrophylla require bone-dry conditions. Species with larger winter leaves, like a few of the moranensis varieties or agnata, enjoy winters soils just slightly damp.  Cuban species should be kept wet year-round, with only slight winter drying. When these plants are transitioning between carnivorous and succulent growth they are at the most risk of rotting, so it is better to air on the side of drier when the temperatures start to get colder and the photo periods shorten. In spring, as soon as the temperatures start to warm and the photo periods lengthen, start watering your plants more. When carnivorous leaves start to grow, begin the tray method again. (If your plant decides it does not want to make carnivorous leaves, don’t worry, sometimes they are stubborn! Water frequently and make sure your plant gets lots of light, preferably some natural light from the sun as well, to try to trigger carnivorous leaf growth. But don’t worry if your ping stays in succulent mode for a whole year, eventually it will grow carnivorous leaves again!) Pinguicula are extremely susceptible to dissolved minerals and salts in their water and poor water quality will directly contribute to decline of plants and death. Be sure to only use rainwater, reverse osmosis water, or distilled water. Pinguicula prefer drier conditions and do not require high humidity.

Temperature: 50 degrees - 90 degrees. While not ideal, Pinguicula can tolerate brief nighttime dips to 40 as long as daytime temperatures warm back up and can tolerate brief heat waves over 90 as long as they are protected from the sun and sitting in water AND nighttime temperatures decrease. Cold temperatures are likely to kill Pinguicula, so avoid exposing them to anything below 50 if possible.

Dormancy: No true dormancy but does have a winter succulent phase during which the plant will produce small succulent leaves instead of flat sticky leaves. Pinguicula do not need this period of succulent growth to grow well. If your plant does not grow succulent leaves, there is no need to try to induce the transition. See the section on watering for in depth care during this time. 

Fertilizer: Apply Schultz Cactus Fertilizer once or twice a month to the leaves with a mister bottle, during the grow season. Do not apply in winter or during succulent winter mode. We use seven drops of fertilizer in 20 ounces of distilled water. 

Soil & Repotting: Pinguicula grow in very dry and rocky soil mixes, do not use a mix that holds a lot of moisture. We use equal parts sand, peat moss, pumice, and perlite. You can order our custom Pinguicula soil mix! These plants ship bare-root so you will have to order potting media and pot them up upon arrival. Pinguicula do not have extensive roots and anchor to the surface of their soil making them ideal candidates for quirky, cute, small, non-draining planters like teacups or vintage pottery. You can plant them in all variety of pots as long as they are glazed ceramic, glazed terracotta, glass or plastic. Avoid un-glazed terracotta. They can be in small pots and do not need much room for roots. Pinguicula are one of the most sensitive plants to a build of minerals and salts in their soil or water. Repot every year to refresh soil.

More Information: For more information on repotting, pests, growing habits, and more, check out our FAQ page or our YouTube channel!