Cephalotus Care Guide

About Cephalotus

Cephalotus, also known as the Australian pitcher plant, is a carnivorous plant native to Western Australia, where it grows along the seashores on the coast in Mediterranean-like climates.

It is totally unique amongst carnivores and the genus is monotypic, meaning there is only one species in the genus and family: The Cephalotus follicularis. It’s a very unique plant, having no close relatives, but it is classified in the order Oxalidales, making it a distant cousin to the everyday clover!

Cephs develop 2 types of leaves: one carnivorous and the other foliar. The carnivorous leaves are moccassin-like and can be very colorful when grown with strong lighting.

This plant is grown similarly to a highland tropical pitcher plant, but with its own unique requirements that require tending to.

This guide will break down watering, humidity, lighting, temperature, and feeding in detail, so that your Cephalotus can thrive!

Watering Cephalotus

Cephalotus should be bottom-watered using the tray method—not top watered, as this can leave excess moisture on the leaves and around the crown.

When the crown of the Cephalotus gets too wet, it can experience crown rot, which can spread. When the leaves get too wet, they are prone to powdery mildew which can kill the plant.

To bottom-water your plant, fill a tray (plastic tray, Tupperware, glass bowl, ramekin, etc.) with 1 to 2 inches of distilled, reverse-osmosis, or rainwater. Place your potted Cephalotus in the water, and place your entire set-up in its growing space.

Allow the water to completely dry out before refilling.

Humidity for Cephalotus

Cephs prefer high humidity (>60%). They also need good airflow.

When the leaves of the Cephalotus become too damp (from condensation, for example), they can become susceptible to powdery mildew, which harms the plant—similar consequences for top-watering!

We have found that Cephalotus can be acclimated to ambient humidity (30-60%, which are typical levels for most homes in the U.S.) using the bag acclimation technique. We advise that you have experience with bag acclimation and/or with Cephalotus before attempting to acclimate your Ceph to lower humidity.

Lighting for Cephalotus

These plants enjoy long hours of bright, direct sunlight—similar to bog plants, like Sarracenia.

If not using growlights, these plants will enjoy an east- or south-facing window.

We have found that they grow great under strong grow lights. Ours grow under intense light for 14-16 hours per day all year round.

An increase in light intensity (not photoperiod or duration) will bring out stronger color in the pitchers, while less intense light leads to larger pitchers.

Temperatures for Cephalotus

These plants enjoy mild daytime temperatures (65-85 degrees), similar to their native growing conditions.

They can handle warmer temperatures for short periods, but anything over 100 should be avoided.

At night, they need temperatures about twenty degrees lower: somewhere between 45 and 60. If, for some reason, you cannot provide cool nighttime temperatures, your Ceph can survive, but it will not thrive. Cephs, in our experience, are more prone to disease and even slower growth without their ideal nighttime temperatures.

They should avoid freezing temperatures.

Feeding Cephalotus

Being a carnivorous plant, Cephalotus get their nutrients primarily from the insects they catch in their traps. We recommend feeding about once per month.

It’s important to note, however, that when these plants are young, they may struggle to receive food, due to their small traps. We have found that growing them in fluval stratum provides enough nutrition to grow. You can also use Maxsea or another water-soluble supplement for foliar feeding.

Once the traps are larger, they may catch their own food. If your Ceph is not catching anything on its own, you can hand-feed it live or dead insects or cricket powder. You can also maintain your fluval/Maxsea/foliar routine, if you’d like.

Cephalotus Dormancy

Cephs do not experience dormancy.

Cephalotus Soil

Cephs can successfully be grown in fluval. We grow ours in 50/50 perlite and fluval stratum. We do not offer a Cephalotus mix at this time.

Repotting Cephalotus

Potting or repotting a Cephalotus can be done when the plant has outgrown its current pot. To do this, you’ll follow the same steps as you would for most plants:

First, fill your new pot with the appropriate substrate.

Next, make space for the roots by creating a hole in the soil.

Gently remove your Ceph from its current pot, ensuring you are mindful of preserving the root system.

Carefully place your plant in the space you created in the new pot. Fill in any gaps with soil.

Resume care.

Still have questions?

Send us an email to service@carnivero.com

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