AUSTRALIAN PITCHER PLANT
Cephalotus
Cephalotus are also known as Australian Pitcher Plants (another reason why I want to visit Australia - it has such cool native carnivorous plants!).
They are very unique looking - almost alien-like. They have lots of teeth hooking downward to prevent the climbing up of small insects. Their main prey in the wild are ants, but they can be fed anything in cultivation.
They produce two kinds of leaves: carnivorous pitchers, and also some flat non-carnivorous leaves. The non-carnivorous leaves are often used for leaf pullings, but the pitchers can be used as well.
SOIL
I think a mix of 2 parts sand to one part peat works best, as it keeps the soil a little drier.
DORMANCY
These plants will grow year-round if kept in consistent temperatures, but I like to give them a subtropical environment. They have a warm summer and a cool winter, so not as harsh as the Sarracenia. Plant growth will slow during this time.
WATERING
I use the tray method for watering, but let the water completely dry out before adding more. They don't like to be sitting in water for too long, or the roots will rot.
PROPAGATION
There are 3 methods of propagation that I use. Seed, leaf pullings, and division. The first one is seed. Transfer the pollen onto the stigmas of the many flowers daily. It is a lot of work but will pay off. The second methods is by leaf pulling. I think that this is the easiest method to produce a lot of plants. Strip away some of the leaves, whether it be carnivorous or non-carnivorous. Push the end of the leaf into some long fiber sphagnum moss until it reaches the point where the leaf flares. New plants will grow in a few weeks. The third method is division. Plants will divide over time but I like to keep them in a clump so the plant is overall more sturdy.
