Dormancy is well underway here in the Pacific Northwest. That means the yard, once vibrant, is turning into a glorious sea of crispy pitchers. This is so different from what I was used to. Once upon a time, the plants lived under glass for a little bit. (Example: from the archives, circa 2015.) The cold and ice really DO SUCK to work in, but at least the plants get a real good rest and they come back strong. The winter freezes also kills off any pests, so I don’t need to use any insecticide.

During dormancy, pitchers pretty much look like crap. Sarracenia oreophila here in the collection is a good example of what plants look like at this time of year. I don’t think it makes a huge difference if these are trimmed off now (a few growers trim now.) But I leave a majority of the dead pitchers on and will clean it all up before active grow time. It would be really cool to have fireproof tables, pots, and tags – because I would just light everything on fire for clean up. I’ve done this on a small scale and have melted tags as a result of it. Good times. Anyway, I imagine the toppled pitchers act as insulation for them in the event of a freeze. It’s also really cool when it snows – you can hear the snow fall amplified through the pitchers. (In other words – I’m just being lazy and don’t feel like cleaning up much at this time… Hah!) 🌱