]]> Sarracenia Northwest http://cobraplant.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=3 Tue, 01 Jun 2010 10:14:16 -0600 8.95 http://cobraplant.com/images/VenusFlytrap.jpg http://cobraplant.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=41 http://cobraplant.com/index.php?main_page=product_reviews&products_id=41

This is the standard soil mix for most carnivorous plants. Use it with Sarracenia, Drosera and flytraps. Contains equal parts of peat moss and perlite.

]]> Sarracenia Northwest http://cobraplant.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=4 Wed, 21 Apr 2010 11:05:49 -0600 8.95 http://cobraplant.com/images/VFTdente.gif http://cobraplant.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=5 http://cobraplant.com/index.php?main_page=product_reviews&products_id=5 The Red Dragon flytrap was cultivated for its deep red color when grown in full sun. Other than that, it is essentially the same as the typical variety. 

Don't be too surprised if you find it dropping all of its leaves and hiding beneath the soil after a series of frost. In spring, however, this plant will burst into growth and start catching flies on its own.

This particular mix contains 1 part bark and 1 part dried sphagnum moss. Can be used with most tropical pitcher plants, such as Nepenthes and Heliamphora.

The Tarnok white top is a variety found in a specific locale in Alabama.  It’s the cheerleader among pitcher plants.  In mid spring it produces double-petal red flowers that look like pom-poms.  Go Bama!

The Tarnok variety resembles the typical form of white top pitcher, but the pitchers are slightly thinner.  It also grows faster and produces more pitchers per season.  Look for the best pitchers of the season in late summer through the first frost of fall.  And don’t worry about winter.  Of all the various forms of white top pitcher, the Tarnok variety is the hardiest of them all.  

Plants are divisions from select mother plants in our collection.

Make sure to watch the monthly video podcast for examples of how plants look like at this time of the year and for important growing tips!

No terrariums! No myths! No nonsense!

Grow Carnivorous Plants! Volume 1
Venus Flytraps • Pitcher Plants • Sundews • Butterworts

Main Video
• An overview of carnivorous plants of the United States and Canada.
• How North American carnivorous plants grow in the wild.
• The three things that makes a plant carnivorous.
• The most important concept you must know about carnivorous plants for ultimate success.
• The required sunlight for growing flytraps, pitcher plants and sundews outdoors.
• How to check your water quality and what you can do to improve it.
• How to mix your own carnivorous plant soil.
• How to grow carnivorous plants in your garden.

Repotting and Dividing
• How to repot your plants.
• How to divide your rhizomes and when to do it.

Growing from Seed
• Proper techniques to germinate your seeds.

Winter Care
• Three important things to watch for.
• How to protect your plants from winter weather.

Desert Care
• How to reduce heat shock in a desert climate.

Rescuing Flytraps from the Terrarium
• Why flytraps perish in terrariums.
• The 2-step process to transition your flytrap from the terrarium to outdoor growing.

Common Problems
• How to identify and treat common plant problems, such as brown spots and pests.

Darlingtonia
• Key factors for successful growing of this enigmatic plant.

Seasons
• You may have already seen this video on YouTube. Now you can watch the uncompressed version on your television. Very nice!

Total Run Time: 119 Minutes

Jeff demonstrates how to make your own soil mix.

Jacob demonstrates how to rescue your flytrap from a terrarium
and why you should grow it outside.

Learn how to repot your flytraps and pitcher plants.

Discover some of the common plant problems you might encounter,
what they mean and what you can do about them.

Get this DVD for free with a qualifying plant purchase! Click here for details.

However, the Australian pitcher plant never does anything fast. It's very slow growing and can be a bit temperamental. They can tolerate high daytime temperatures (up to 100°F) as long as they experience cool nights (45° - 65°F).  Be careful about overheating the roots, however.

As a native to the southwestern coast of Australia, it can be grown outdoors in very mild regions of the United States throughout the year. Many growers in zone 9 regions report that they've kept their plants outdoors throughout the year! Plants in our private collection have successfully experienced temperatures as low as 28°F during very mild winters.

The yellow trumpet is definitely a handsome plant. Its tall, stout, yellow-green leaves have the cutest curl at the tip of its hood will make you swoon, but it's the sweet nectar that makes flies, yellow jackets and wasps swoon.  This plant knows how to attract them!

In spring, the yellow trumpet is usually the first to bring you flowers.  Buds form soon after the winter snow melts.  Look for yellow flowers in mid spring.

While you might get the impression that the traps aren't capable of capturing any insects, you'd be pleasantly surprised when you numerous closed traps on your plant. We have seen many captured insects in many of our cupped flytraps!

This variety is very rare, but can be easily cared for like any other flytrap.

]]> Sarracenia Northwest http://cobraplant.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=68 Wed, 23 Jun 2010 11:46:29 -0600 12.95 http://cobraplant.com/images/VFTclamshell.gif http://cobraplant.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2 http://cobraplant.com/index.php?main_page=product_reviews&products_id=2

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Make your own carnivorous plant soil mix! These are ingredients that we commonly use at our nursery.

This hybrid looks the white top pitcher (Sarracenia leucophylla), except it has much thicker veins in the upper portion of the pitcher. In spring, the early pitchers are green at the bottom and red at the top with white speckles. By early fall, the entire pitcher turns deep red, just in time for the winter holidays!

Make sure to watch our monthly video podcast for examples of how plants look like at this time of the year and for important growing tips!

Current batch consists of 3 sundews per 3-inch pot.

One word – vigorous!  This plant is a trooper.  It takes the summer heat, grows fast and works hard in capturing insects.  You’ll definitely enjoy watching beads of nectar glisten in sunlight as it does its job in your garden.  You’ll almost swear the nectar drips off of this plant.  The flowers of this hybrid are sterile, so you can rest assured that its seeds will never spread.  You are bound to have fun with this plant!

What's unusual about this plant is the way it propagates itself. Like Drosera adelae, it has runners, but in the form of flower stalks. Long flower stalks creep along the soil where soft purple flowers bloom. When the flower stalk comes in contact with moist soil, a new plantlet sprouts up.  Over time, you'll have a nice cluster of plants coming from the main mother plant.  Hence, the common name, hen and chicks.

Leaves of this sundew are round, very much like the North American Drosera rotundifolia, and will curl around small prey.

This species is one of our favorites here at the nursery. It's diminutive stature and glistening red leaves has cute written all over it! It gets only up to 1/4 inch in diameter! Full sun is required for this plant.

In late fall, this sundew will produce tiny reproductive buds called gemmae. You can increase the size of your colony by simply sowing the gemmae on moist soil.

Current batch consists of 6+ sundews per 3-inch pot.  Photo below is representative of the plants for sale.

Repot your sundews, from the largest to the smallest.

You'll want to ditch your terrarium when you discover
the factors that are really important for dew production
and why humidity isn't one of them.

Propagate more sundews using any of the six techniques
you'll learn on the DVD.

Don't have an appropriate window to grow tropical sundews?
Use artificial lights, and we'll show you how!

Grow and propagate Mexican butterworts.

Grow the enigmatic dewy pine with relative ease.

Got a problem with your plants?
Find out the most common plant problems and their causes.

Get this DVD for free with a qualifying plant purchase! Click here for details.

The giant staghorn has 12-inch long slender leaves that branches into as many as 4 points per leaf. (Juvenile leaves have only 2 points per leaf.) As you look closely, you will find sticky droplets all along the leaves. These droplets both attract and capture insects! An adult plant can easily capture insects as large as a housefly.

This species is native to regions that are equivalent to USDA zone 8 and will die back when exposed to frost. At our nursery, we grow our mother plants exclusively outdoors.  Over the years, they've tolerated temperatures down to 9°F with very little winter protection. In spring, these tough guys always come back with tremendous vigor.

One adventurous grower in Toronto (zone 4) planted a giant staghorn in his bog garden and grew it alongside Sarracenia pitcher plants.  He reported that the sundew came back each year, just like the Sarracenia.

Despite its apparent tendency to go dormant in winter, you can treat this plant as a tropical plant if you wish. It will grow throughout the year if you keep the growing conditions constantly warm and bright.  However, you'll need to use very bright fluorescent lights during the winter months.  Otherwise, the plant will go dormant from the change in daylight hours.  We haven't found any adverse affects from keeping the plant from going dormant.  

In short, grow it either as:

A No-Nonsense Approach to Growing
Tropical Pitcher Plants

No terrariums. No myths. No nonsense.

Grow Carnivorous Plants! Volume 3
Nepenthes • Cephalotus • Heliamphora • Bromeliads

Main Video
• An introduction to Asian pitcher plant species and hybrids.
• Which Nepenthes grow best as houseplants.
• Important tips about sunlight, water and soil.

Cephalotus follicularis
• How to successfully grow the Australian pitcher plant in your windowsill.

Heliamphora
• How to successfully grow the sun-loving pitcher plant from South America.

Carnivorous Bromeliads
• Rare carnivorous bromeliads to grow in your home.

Repotting Tropical Pitcher Plants
• How to repot Nepenthes without damaging their delicate roots.

Propagating Nepenthes
• Three methods to grow Nepenthes from stem cuttings.

Fertilizers
• How to use fertilizers without killing your pitcher plants.

Rescuing Plants from Humidity Domes and Terrariums
• Why carnivorous plants often die in humidity domes and terrariums.
• What you need to know to transition plants to lower humidity without shocking them.

Common Problems
• How to identify and treat common problems with Nepenthes.

Total Run Time: 140 minutes.

Nepenthes come in many different shapes and sizes.
Learn which plants grow best as houseplants.


Nepenthes will grow in a variety of soil mixes.
When you learn the basics, you can create your own soil mix.


Nepenthes are very easy to propagate from stem cuttings.
We'll show you the same techniques we use at the nursery.


Heliamphora can be a bit tricky to grow, so you'll definitely want to
watch this video before buying one of your own.

Get this DVD for free with a qualifying plant purchase! Click here for details.

Of all the Sarracenia species, this is our favorite.  In late spring, dark red flowers accent orange-tinted pitchers. In early fall, pitchers turn a beautiful shade of copper. By early winter, the entire pitcher turns deep red. 

The cobra plant is the only pitcher plant found on the west coast. Leaves can get up to 3 feet tall and resemble proud cobras basking in the sun. Many growers regard this plant a true prize in their collection.

While many people are familiar with the Darlingtonia Wayside on the Oregon coast (Florence, Oregon), very few are aware that the cobra plant grows most abundantly in the mountains of southern Oregon and northern California. From years of trial and error, we've concluded that the coastal variety is far too temperamental for most growers, including us. Unfortunately, most nurseries offer only the coastal variety.

We carry exclusively the mountain variety, which is much more tolerant of wide temperature swings, very warm summers and snowy winters. Like all plants native to the mountains, they require cool nights (below 65°F).

For the past several years, we've been growing our mother plants exclusively outdoors. They have survived hot spells of 102°F during the summer, cold spells of 15°F during the winter and wildly fluctuating humidity throughout the year. So far we have not lost a single plant! With mother plants such as these, you can the progeny to have similar resiliency and vigor.

The primrose butterwort has a rosette of green, succulent-like leaves. If you grow this plant in partial sunlight, leaves will develop a nice copper tan. In mid to late spring, look for flowers with a hints of purple around the edges.

Technically, this is a temperate butterwort native to the southern regions of the United States.  However, we've found that it's a lot easier to grow indoors since it's a bit sensitive to harsh growing conditions.  In our greenhouse, we've successfully grown this species alongside our Mexican butterworts.

Grow this plant in a very sunny window that receives 4 hours of direct sunlight.  Keep the soil moist, but not waterlogged.  If you plan to grow this plant outdoors, protect it from hot sunlight.

Use this mix for plants that prefer more drainage and soil aeration. Can be used with Cephalotus, Heliamphora, and Pinguicula. Contains 1 part peat moss and 2 parts perlite.

This is an amazing plant and is one of our favorite hybrids. It grows tall like a pale pitcher (Sarracenia alata), and it has white spots and a slightly curved hood like a hooded pitcher (Sarracenia minor). In late spring and early summer, it develops a wonderful orange hue. Many wasps and yellow jackets are also fond of this plant.

All plants are divisions from select mother plants in our collection. Pot size indicates the size and potential growth of each rhizome. The larger the pot, the larger the rhizome and overall plant size.  Look for its best pitchers of the season in late summer and early fall.

Make sure to watch our monthly video podcast for examples of how plants look like at this time of the year and for important growing tips!

Use this mix with a variety of Mexican and temperte butterworts. Contains 1 part peat moss, 1 part vermiculite and 2 parts perlite. Not for use with other carnivorous plants.

Ladies in Waiting is a complex cross of the purple pitcher (Sarracenia purpurea), white top trumpet (Sarracenia leucophylla) and sweet pitcher (Sarracenia rubra). Pitchers face the center of the plant and resembles women dressed in gorgeous red clamshell hoods with white speckles having a chat. What are they chatting about? Recipes for Shoo Fly Pie!

This cultivar is a hybrid of Pinguicula agnata and Pinguicula moctezumae. It produces long narrow succulent-like leaves that are reminiscent of both parent plants. In the right conditions, its leaves can grow up to 10 inches long! It also has a flower with a delicate shade of lavender whose beauty is unsurpassed. This plant grows vigorously for the first-time grower. The photo above is a mother plant that we've had in our collection for the past five years. Grow this plant in a sunny south window.

Plants are in 3-inch pots.

Like the name implies, Pygmy Sundews are tiny! This particular hybrid gets up to 3/4 inch in diameter and has green leaves with orange tinted tentacles.

In late fall, this sundew will produce tiny reproductive buds called gemmae. You can increase the size of your colony by simply sowing the gemmae on moist soil.

Plants are shipped in 3-inch pots.

This horticultural hybrid is a recent introduction.  The father plant, Nepenthes densiflora, has deep red pitchers, while the mother plant, Nepenthes boschiana, has red mottled pitchers.  The leaves are also develop a very rich red color. 

From what we have seen already, this hybrid is quite vigorous and adapts well as a regular houseplant, thanks to N. boschiana.  Grow this plant in a very sunny south or east window.  Keep the soil moist at all times.

Although N. singalana originates from the upper portions of the Sumatran mountains, it is fairly robost and adapts well as a houseplant where the nights are fairly cool. Grow this plant in a south window. Keep the soil moist at all times.

This pitchers of this species are quite small.  In cultivation, they rarely grow larger than 4 inches.  The pitchers are bulbous with red splotches against a cream background.  Nepenthes glabrata looks very similar to N. gymnaphora.  However, rather than producing a compact cluster of leaves and pitchers like N. gymnaphora, N. glabarata produces a long scrambling vine.

This plants is a true highlander.  It grows best when days are mild and nights are cool.  Grow in a sunny south or east window and keep the soil moist at all times.

As a native to the moutaintops of Venezuela, Heliamphora prefers full to partial sunlight, cool daytime temperatures (65° to 80°F), cool nighttime temperatures (45° - 60°F) and lots of misting. It is one of the few carnivorous plants that is best grown in a terrarium with strong fluorescent lights and air circulation. If you're an experienced, patient and fastidious grower, you will certainly enjoy the challenge of growing this plant.

Please watch the DVD, Grow Carnivorous Plants Volume 3, for details on growing this plant.

Plants in 3-inch pots have juvenile pitchers. Plants in 4-inch pots have adult pitchers. Our batch of plants are approximately 3-4 years old. You can expect to see full sized pitchers within 2 years.

Available in September.

Grow this plant in a south or west window. Keep the soil moist at all times. No terrarium is required. If you are new to Nepenthes, give this plant a try.

This hybrid is one of delicate beauty and elegance. Its pitcher are patterned with thick reddish brown veins against a light green background. This hybrid exists only within cultivation since the range of both the green pitcher (Sarracenia oreophila) and white top pitcher (Sarracenia leucophylla) don't overlap.

This is a natural hybrid that you might be able to see in the wild where the range of the yellow trumpet (Sarracenia flava) and the white top pitcher (Sarracenia leucophylla) overlap. The upper portions of the pitcher have reddish brown and dark green veins contrasted against a greenish white background.

This particular clone is crossed with a typical flava.  It has pinkish flowers that hang straight down.

All plants are divisions from select mother plants in our collection. Pot size indicates the size and potential growth of each rhizome. The larger the pot, the larger the rhizome and overall plant size.  Look for its best pitchers of the season in late summer and early fall.

Make sure to watch our monthly video podcast for examples of how plants look like at this time of the year and for important growing tips.

Current batch of plants have acclimated to lower humidity in our greenhouse. We cut off their original pitchers, and most plants are showing signs of new pitcher development. First photo below is representative of the plants for sale.

Plants are divisions from select mother plants.

Make sure to watch the monthly video podcast for examples of how plants look like at this time of the year and for important growing tips!

This plant is the English bulldog among pitcher plants.  Its pitchers are portly, stout and massive. And like an English bulldog, it doesn't like warm weather. It's native to the mountains of northwestern Alabama where days are mild and nights are cool.

So if you live where summers are generally mild, you can enjoy a much longer growing season.  But don’t be too surprised if your plant goes dormant in mid summer.  It’s just its way of dealing with the summer heat.  In late summer when the summer heat mellows, this plant will emerge for another display of short, stout pitchers.  Look for large green flowers in spring.

Plant will be shipped in a 3-inch pot.

This species of Heliamphora forms a cluster of short pitchers.

As a native to the moutaintops of Venezuela, Heliamphora prefers full to partial sunlight, mild daytime temperatures (65° to 80°F) and cool nighttime temperatures (45° - 60°F). So the biggest challenge in growing this plant is providing lots of bright sunlight without overheating the plant.  This is one of the few carnivorous plants in which we recommend growing it under strong fluorescent lights rather than in a windowsill.

If you're an experienced, patient and fastidious grower, you will certainly enjoy the challenge of growing this plant. 

This plant should be very interesting when it produces its upper pitchers.  It's technically a complex hybrid, Nepenthes maxima x (lowii x macrophylla).  If you're familiar with N. lowii and N. macrophylla, you'll already understand why this plant holds lots of promise!

As true with most hybrids, this one is much more vigorous than its parents and adapts well to a wide range of growing conditions.  It adapts well as a houseplant, though cool nights would be helpful. Grow it in a bright sunny windowsill, such as a south window.

Plants are grown from seed and will vary slightly in appearance.

Available plants are from seed and have been growing at our nursery for two years.

The name says it all.  It's a variety of the Moorei hybrid, but it has a pink funky flower.   It seems to point horizontally rather than vertically towards the ground.  The upper portions of the pitcher have reddish brown and dark green veins contrasted against a greenish white background. The pitchers also have a maroon splotch on its throat, a characteristic of S. flava var. rugelii. 

All plants are divisions from select mother plants in our collection. Pot size indicates the size and potential growth of each rhizome. The larger the pot, the larger the rhizome and overall plant size. Look for its best pitchers of the season in late summer and early fall.

Make sure to watch our monthly video podcast for examples of how plants look like at this time of the year and for important growing tips.

All plants are divisions from select mother plants in our collection. Pot size indicates the size and potential growth of each rhizome. The larger the pot, the larger the rhizome and overall plant size. Look for its best pitchers of the season in late summer and early fall.

Make sure to watch our monthly video podcast for examples of how plants look like at this time of the year and for important growing tips!

Grow this plant in a very sunny, warm window.  This species is considered a tropical annual, so when it flowers, collect its seeds and sprinkle on the soil.  The original plant itself can live for a couple years after flowering.

Plants are divisions from select mother plants.

Make sure to watch the monthly video podcast for examples of how plants look like at this time of the year and for important growing tips!

Like the name implies, pygmy sundews are tiny! This particular hybrid gets up to 1/4 inch in diameter and has green leaves with orange tinted tentacles. What sets this pygmy apart from the others is its tuft of white woolly hair in the center. Full sun is required for this plant.

In late fall, this sundew will produce tiny reproductive buds called gemmae. You can increase the size of your colony by simply sowing the gemmae on moist soil.

Plants are shipped in 3-inch pots with approximately 3 plants per pot.

Like the name implies, Pygmy Sundews are tiny! This particular hybrid gets up to 1/2 inch in diameter. Despite its dimunitive stature, its red leaves are well equipped in catching fruit flies and gnats.

In late fall, this sundew will produce tiny reproductive buds called gemmae. You can increase the size of your colony by simply sowing the gemmae on moist soil.

This particular sundew doesn't have a species name.  It's believed to be a natural hybrid coming from Lake Badgerup in Australia.

Plants are shipped in 3-inch pots with approximately 3 plants per pot.