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Found around springheads and by cold streams in the hills of California
and Oregon, the Cobra Lily has a unique appearence with it's
superficial resemblance to a cobra poised to strike. Mainly flying
insects are attracted to the nectar secreting glands on the tongue,
which acts as a landing platform. A trail of nectar leads in to the
hooded dome of the pitcher which is covered in many false windows
(fenestrations) which allow the light to enter. |
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| Once inside, the insect quickly realises it is trapped, and tries to
escape towards the light emanating through the windows. |
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photo by Martin Mulchinock |
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| By following the windows
to the rear of the pitcher and in to the tube, the insect looses it's
footing on the waxy interior surface and falls in to the tube where it
drowns and is broken down by bacterial decomposition. |
| This plant typically attains a height of about 18 inches in
cultivation, but in the wild may reach up to three feet. |
| The flowers
are produced in the spring and consist of single flowered stems topped
by a lantern shaped bloom of five red petals arranged in a whorl,
surrounded by five apple green lanceolate sepals which hang down around
the petals. |
| With sunlight behind them these peculiar flowers glow red-
making a stark contrast to the glowing windows of the pitchers. |
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| Compost: While this plant will grow perfectly happily in equal parts of
moss peat and perlite/lime free horticultural sand, it grows at it's
best in pure sphagnum moss. |
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| Water: Rain or distilled/deionised water only. Stand in about 2-3
inches of water during the growing season (approximately March-
November), and keep only damp over the dormant winter months when the
growth ceases. |
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| Light: Full sun to semi shade. In slightly shaded situations the
pitchers will be taller than if they are grown in full sun. |
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Temperature: Being a hardy species, this plant is ideally suited to the
British climate. It is ideal for growing outdoors or in greenhouses and
conservatories. During the summer it can tolerate a high temperature
but it dislikes warm roots. Indeed we lost several hundred plants after they over heated. |
| A way to avoid this is to grow the plant in a deep container which covers the pot. During the winter the plant
can tolerate very low temperatures and indeed, in the wild is often
covered in snow. |
| The ideal place for these plants is therefore a sunny aspect for the
growing season and a cold position for the winter dormacy, either
outside or under cover in a greenhouse or by a garage window. |
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