Dead or dormant?

[Adam]

I have a sarr I just got, and it may be dormant or dead. It looks dormant, because the cut pitchers are still red at the bottom, but the crown is brown. then i have another i have the same. Ill post pics soon enough

 

[sarracenia]

i would say it's alive. if you see color that's good. the rhizome is usually brown.

 

[Jefforever]

Anything that's brown, poke it. If it's all mushy, you'll know it's rotten.

The crown shouldn't be brown...

 

[Adam]

Hmm... pictures later, and the crown is stable for the most part...

 

[billylh]

i usually peel back one of the cut pitchers and check the color of the rhizome and not the dead pitcher parts around the rhizome.

~billy

 

[Veronis]

Coming out of dormancy they often do look like that. I have two and both had every trap cut low for winter; when I brought them out of dormancy the rhyzome was discolored but the trap stubs were still red and green. I repotted it, watered it, put it outside, and after about a month, it's now growing new pitchers.

Don't give up on them unless they start rotting at the rhyzome (like what Jefforever said). I've seen some pretty sad-looking sarr and VFT plant stubs come up strong by late Spring. The rhyzome being brown could just be dirty, we also don't know what species the sarr is; it might be normal for that kind. If the rhyzome is mushy it's dying. If it's not mushy but it's a little more pliable than it should be, there's still hope. If it's solid, it's most likely healthy.

 

[BigBella]

I have a sarr I just got, and it may be dormant or dead. It looks dormant, because the cut pitchers are still red at the bottom, but the crown is brown. then i have another i have the same. Ill post pics soon enough

Hey, they all look like crap right out of dormancy. If I have to answer another question wondering why my Sarracenia looked like hell in January, I'm finding a clock tower -- so help me . . .

 

[jimscott]

Hey, they all look like crap right out of dormancy. If I have to answer another question wondering why my Sarracenia looked like hell in January, I'm finding a clock tower -- so help me . . .

You can say that again!

Here's how they looked when I brought them home from my co-worker's garage, a few weeks ago:

This is how they look right now, after a trimming of the dead foliage:

Here are some signs of life:

 

[Rocketcaver]

I wish mine looked that good.

 

[Adam]

Alata and junebug are the varieties

 

[Not a Number]

I spy a Darlingtonia flower...