FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hello, I bought a sarracenia purpurea dracula about 2 months ago and 3 of its pitchers have started to dry up. It has about 4 new growth points but I feel like they have stopped growing. It's always sitting in a saucer with demineralised water (I couldn't find distilled), it has spagnum moss as substrate, around 60% humidity from the humidifier and it gets around 10 hours of daylight. Mind you, it's indoors on a south facing window si it doesn't really get direct sun light.

Old pitchers dying of isn't a problem but it is definitely light starved.

I try to give it as much light as possible in an apartment. If I put it next to an aquarium with 8 hours of light would it better?

It's a normal aquarium light

I don't think putting the pitcher beside the aquarium light would be a positive direction to go in.

Many people recommend this light: Yescom 225 WHITE growlight @ $32+tax

The red/blue combo lights are reported to grow plants as well or maybe(?) even a bit better than the white light version...personally, I wouldn't want to be looking at my plants under those colored lights, kinda garish-looking. But, on a pure plant-growing basis they are reported to work better. If this will be a "display plant" I would go with the white light. The flat panels fit well under a shelf or even free-hanging. A bit of an expense (less than $35 including tax), but *much* better than sitting beside the aquarium light or the indirect sunlight from the windowsill. The Yescom 225 is large enough for a few other plants to sit beneath, too. Best wishes.

BTW, welcome to the forum!!!!

Thank you so much for the help. I will probably get a growth light when I have the money. I sadly cannot buy the one you mentioned because I can't seem to find it in europe. Thank you for the warm welcome and I will try to give the plant more light until I get a light. I was also trying to give it more light little by little because in the store I bought it from it didn't even recieve sunlight.

If there is any way to add lighting to where it currently is, that would be better. Also, with artificial lights it is going to need upwards of 12 hours of artificial light.

As has been said by Panman, it's a nice plant but without enough light to give you the colours that it is capable of, and also as said the pitchers dying back are the older ones and its part of the natural process, nothing to worry about.
If you can get it outside in full sun it will reward you.
Cheers
Steve

I'll see what I can in order to give it more light. I have 1 question about it: from what I read about sarracenia purpurea you need to put water in their pitchers correct? I have been doing this since the water in the pitchers seems to evaporate and doesn't come back.

Possibly place a reflector behind the plant (room side) and to the sides to reflect some of the lost light back to the plant. Also, I agree with what Panman said...adding additional light to what you already have would be great. Possibly a simple cord with a socket on the end of it in which you screw in a regular LED growlight or something with a high color temperature 5000k or better and as high as wattage as you can get. Plug the cord into a timer to automatically control the light.

The plant is on the balcony and I have a light there that is around 6000k so I can use that

How close can you get the light to the plant?

I can put it right above it probably.

Bicyclemaster wrote:I can put it right above it probably.

Sounds like a plan!!!