Cephalotus follicularis "Agnes" Potted

Cephalotus follicularis is one of the most desired carnivorous plants in cultivation. It is a curious pitcher plant with compact growth and bristly, colorful traps that seemingly yawn for a bite to eat! This is a clone we're naming for Agnes, our little greenhouse mascot! If you've visited the greenhouse you have probably seen this sweet Norfolk terrier romping around the nursery or barking at the door. Sadly, Agnes passed away some years ago, but we think of her often. You have to admit, she has a strange likeness to a Cephalotus pitcher...

Please be aware that this can be a bit tricky to grow. Be sure to read through all of our care instructions and for more information click here to watch this video for care tips!

These small plants are no bigger than a nickel but will rapidly grow with proper care. 

Care Instructions

Growth habit: Cephalotus are not large plants but produce tons of pitchers, tumbling over one another. They will grow paddle-shaped leaves. Over time the pitchers can grow over the sides of their pots but they will not grow tall. Pitchers will grow to 3” tall at maximum.

Sun: Full to part sun. They can be grown in terrariums under grow lights. Grow 6-12” from the grow light depending on the strength of the light. They can be grown outdoors in full to part sun in mild climates.

Water: Water with distilled, reverse osmosis or rain water only. Use the tray method. Cephalotus dislike long periods of being waterlogged, so it is best to allow the water in the tray to evaporate before adding more. Do not fill trays more than 1/4 of the way up the pot. Always use drained containers; shallow un-drained containers will rot their roots. 

Temperature: Daytime temperatures in the 60’s-90’s with a 10-20 degree drop in night temps, can tolerate light frost and we even have one in an outdoor bog that survived a month of temps in the low 20's! Cephalotus does best with moderately warm summers and cool to chilly winters. The plants may die in long periods of very hot weather and they enjoy cool summer nights. They are tolerant of brief, light frost down to 25 F degrees, but may be killed in lower temperatures. They are best grown in cool highland greenhouse or terrariums. They can be grown outdoors year-round in mild areas.

Dormancy: Cephalotus do not have a winter dormancy but may slow growth in winter.

Fertilizer: Apply diluted Maxsea fertilizer once or twice a month to the leaves and inside the pitchers. Slow-release osmocote pellets can be added to the pitchers along with a bit of distilled water. Small pitchers may burn back upon feeding, but this will still greatly benefit the plant with nutrients. Small insects can also be fed to pitchers.

Soil & Repotting: Cephalotus go well in a quick drying soil mix. We use two parts sand to one part peat moss. Cephalotus do not like repotting and have stiff, woody roots so be very mindful when transplanting to be gentle. Repot every 3-5 years, they prefer tall pots.

More Information: For more information on repotting, pests, growing habits, and more, check out our FAQ page or our YouTube channel!