Australian Pitcher Plant (Cephalotus) Care Guide.

Light Requirements

Know the correct lighting requirements for your plant. This will be the difference between growing and THRIVING!

Cephalotus need FULL TO DAPPLED SUN.

The more light they get, the more intense their colouring will be. But be very careful not to let the plant overheat. If the roots get too hot, the plant will die, and it will be quick. Avoid leaving them in the peak afternoon sun if you grow outside and live in a hot climate. They tend to grow best where they receive dappled light all day, or direct sun in the morning, followed by bright light from noon onwards.

For more info on the types of light, refer to the HOLY COMMANDMENTS Page

Acclimatization

When you bring your new babies home, help them to acclimatize by following this simple step.

In my experience, this plant doesn’t show any distress in new environments.

However, considering the “stress” the plant has gone through during shipping, it is always advised to place them in an area that gets bright dappled light or morning sun only, for a week before moving them to their new spot.

I always spray new plants with Novion, to give them that extra boost. Spraying into the pitchers will also improve nutrient absorption. (A free sample vial is sent with every order to assist with acclimatization and ease abiotic stress.)

Watering Requirements

ALWAYS USE PURE WATER such as Rain, Distilled or R.O Water.

Cephalotus does not like being left in waterlogged soil. It is best to water overhead daily, twice a day if hot, rather than using the tray method. Continue watering until excess water pours out the bottom of the pot, saturating the soil.

If you do use the tray method, only fill with 1cm of pure water and allow the tray to dry out for a day before refilling. NEVER let the soil dry out. It must ALWAYS be moist to the touch. Don’t be scared to get water in the pitchers. This will benefit them.

For more information on Watering refer to our HOLY COMMANDMENTS Page.

Potting Media Requirements

A nutrient-deficient soil is a must for all carnivorous plants.
NEVER use soil with fertilizers.

Cephalotus prefer a more sandy mix. (1 part silica sand to 1 part carnivorous plant soil works well)

Cephalotus have very fragile roots and do not take kindly to being repotted. If the roots are disturbed, the plant will stop growing for months. When you need to repot, remove the plant and without disturbing the soil, place it in a larger pot and simply fill the sides with more sandy peat mix. Cephalotus need deep pots as their roots, although small, are long. When transplanting always use a much deeper pot rather than a wider one.

Carnivorous soil mix for Cephalotus can be purchased from the Accessories page.

For more info on Soil & Potting refer to the HOLY COMMANDMENTS Page and my BLOG ON REPOTTING.

Feeding Requirements

Carnivorous Plants are formidable hunters and do not need to be fed, but if you REALLY cannot resist...

When grown outdoors they will catch all the food they need. (Sunlight is more important than food as they get most of their energy from Photosynthesis.)

They will also benefit from a mild foliar fertilizer spray like Novion, which can be sprayed directly onto the leaves. If you get too much liquid on the soil, flush with pure water from overhead a day after application

Novion can be purchased from the Accessories page.

Dried meal worms, blood worms or fresh dead bugs placed into the pitchers is the best way to feed them.

Pest Control

Just like any other plant, Carnies are sometimes prone to Pests and Diseases. However there are very effective ways to help them.

The primary pest attacking Cephalotus is Scale.

Isolate the plant to prevent infecting others and spray with a mild Insecticide like Rosecare 3 by Efekcto. This utilizes both a systemic and direct contact method of attack.

This needs to be sprayed on the plant once a week for 3 weeks. Avoid spraying in the pitchers if possible.

Temperature Tolerance

Some like Warm Sunny Days, others prefer cool night time temps.

Cephalotus do best with warm summers and cool winters. They prefer day temperatures ranging from 18 degrees up to 30 degrees with night time temps ranging from 7 degrees to 18 degrees.

Plants do not like excessive heat, and if you are prone to long hot summers, it is advised to protect the plant from the midday Sun to prevent overheating, or the plant may die. The plant will survive hot days, provided you get a good 10-degree drop in temperatures at night.

They are tolerant of light frosts and temperatures down to 2 degrees Celsius for short periods, however, if these cold spells go on for more than a day, it is advised to bring the plant indoors.

Winter Dormancy

While some plants grow all year round, for others that Winter Snooze is an absolute necessity. 

Cephalotus do not go through true dormancy like Sarracenia or Venus Fly Traps do. Like butterworts, they will grow more photosynthesising leaves and fewer pitcher traps when temperatures drop and daylight hours decrease. In some cases, Pitcher Traps may stop developing altogether.

They will survive without any “dormancy” period if grown in terrariums etc, however, they do benefit tremendously from a winter snooze, and growth in Spring will be a lot more abundant after their rest.

The plant will require a significant drop in temperature during the winter months to trigger this dormancy, however, if temps drop below 5 degrees Celcius, bring the plant indoors to a sunny windowsill, which gets 4 hours or more of morning sun to prevent exposure to the extreme cold.

Continue the watering regime as above.

Refer to my blog for more info on Winter Dormancy.