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Container Gardening

Wintering pitcher plants

Jason, zone 7A, near Greensboro NC

2 years ago

I have several pitcher plants in containers, sitting on the back deck in direct sun for about 10 hours /day. Some did great, some "survived but didn't thrive" (no explanation on the difference; same soil, same location, same water).

I'm located in western North Carolina, so very close to their native habitat (southern NC). Which is interesting, since no one here has ever heard of them! LOL

The question is, how do I handle them over the winter? Leave them sitting where they are, exposed to frost, snow, and ice?

Do I continue to keep water in the saucer beneath? What about when that water freezes?

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Comments (5)

Jason, zone 7A, near Greensboro NC
Original Author
2 years ago
It's currently 34 degrees and supposed to frost tonight, so I wanted to bump this thread... any suggestions?
Need2SeeGreen 10 (SoCal)
2 years ago
I don't have any experience with these. I hope they are doing okay! Have you tried calling up a local botanical garden or a good nursery? Someone must know the answer.
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Jason, zone 7A, near Greensboro NC
Original Author
2 years ago
I'm afraid that there's no good local nursery :-( I emailed the local extension office, too, but no reply.

My guess is that the bulbs go dormant and it really doesn't matter. What value could a saucer of ice bring it? But I had one last year that I'd sat in the unheated greenhouse without a saucer, and it died. That could be an unrelated coincidence... or I could be totally wrong and it needs the saucer even if it freezes.
party_music50
2 years ago
Your climate is so different from mine, and I don’t grow Pitcher plants, but my experience has been that container plants do better over winter if they’re not kept wet and cold — whether inside/protected or outdoors. Being in freezing water would be the worst. I’m in z5 and I overwinter potted plants both indoors and out. If they’re staying out, I remove the plant from the pot and plunge it into the garden over winter. Can you do that?
Need2SeeGreen 10 (SoCal)
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
Maybe try a local college? There must be a botanist lurking somewhere.

I like party_music's planting out idea. Whatever you do, if it were me I wouldn't put them all in the same spot. I did see a reference online to some of these at least as being deciduous. That might make it easier to just bring them in. But really, I'd keep looking for a botanist. There was a whole page on nature dot org on them. So people are interested.

Good luck with them!

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