Dormancy period Carnivorous Plants

Dear customer,

Most carnivorous plants are entering or have already entered their dormancy period. You will notice that leaves, pitchers and traps of plants you have ordered or are about to order, are dying back or already became brown/black, and are smaller than you would have expected. Some plants will even die back completely (some Sundews). 

But don’t worry! This is a completely normal process and they will all come back nice and healthy in spring.
Please keep this in mind when ordering Carnivorous plants in the Autumn/Winter period. 

Why do they go dormant?

All carnivorous plants thrive best when they get the chance to go dormant. They are perennials and should be treated as such. Their roots will develop and gain power during dormancy to be able to create new strong traps and pitchers in spring. That is why it is best to keep them in a cool place (not freezing, so with a minimum of 4 degrees) from the end of October until mid-February, with a minimum of 2-3 months. Due to this fact, our polytunnels are not heated and all carnivorous plants will naturally enter their needed dormancy period. NOTE: This is not valid for Nepenthes, which like to be in a minimum temperature of 14 degrees.

After the dormancy period, treat the plants as per the specific plant care guides provided or read more on our blogpost about Dormancy Period Carnivorous Plants.

Some Extra Care tips:

• Gently remove the dead black traps from your Venus Flytraps and from the compost.
• Cut back the brown pitchers from your Sarracenias to about 10 cm. from the pot and gently peel off pitchers that have become brown or black completely from the rhizome.

Should you have any more questions, please contact us.

Best wishes,

South West Carnivorous Plants
Simon and Marit