Cephalotus follicularis is native to South West Australia. The summers are warm (70° to 75°F) and dry, winters wet and cool (34°F to 40°F). But, unlike many Australian carnivorous plants, Cephalotus follicularis does not need a summer dormancy. It will take a moderate winter dormancy of 3 - 4 months if presented with cool (34° - 60°F) temps during the winter. For the most part it can be grown much like a Nepenthes except high temps should not exceed 87°F. Warm days are not an issue as long as the nights cool down considerably, to at least 75°F. If it must endure temps over 87°F for prolonged periods, or the nights do not cool, you will need to help cool the roots. You can use water chilled to 60°F during the warm summer months to keep the soil cool. Allow to drain well though! Or you can set an ice cube on the media and allow to melt, do not allow direct contact with the cephalotus. Cephalotus requires well drained media kept only moist. Never let the media dry out though. Cephalotus follicularis grows in a rosette of ground hugging pitchers. Unlike Nepenthes it does not climb up. Cephalotus produces carnivorous and non-carnivorous leaves. The first few weeks of spring is generally when it starts production of the non-carnivorous ones and they can stick around for several months. They often produce more growing points as they age, the young one pictured has over four growth points. Cephalotus is believed to be one of the oldest carnivorous plants, traced back over 100 million years. Phenomenal! click for bigger pic Non-Carnivorous Leaves Carnivorous Pitcher Carnivorous Pitcher Just forming Cephalotus follicularis has delicate roots. They produce a thick, root like rhizome it sends straight down, up to a couple inches. From this the roots branch out. Young plants are extremely sensitive so be careful with them. Once the roots are established and become thicker the plant will be much more stable. Always be very careful when transplanting or potting up a new plant. Use 6" and larger pots to help keep the media cool. They are very susceptible to shock. Use SuperThrive if you have it. They should be transplanted every two to three years to refresh the media, determine pot size, and to divide if needed. Use the propagation link above to learn how to make more plants from the one you have.

Since Cephalotus is so prone to shock it is best to order them during the cooler months. Idealy you want them traveling through the mail while they are in a slow growth stage. If you are ordering them from the states then this is rather easy. If you are ordering them from Australia then you must keep in mind the seasons are reversed. You want to time the order so it leaves Australia at the end of their winter and the start of yours as much as possible. This allows it to travel in cooler temps and protects it from our heat until it can settle in well.

No matter how smooth the transition goes there can still be problems. The cephalotus sometimes dies no matter what you do, but if you make an honest effort to do the things listed on this page it will be minimal. If yours should die, don't freak out. Chances are it will be fine. Keep the media just moist and in bright light, new growth should appear in a few weeks. Over watering is the #1 cause of death!

Dormancy -Cephalotus follicularis does not require a dormancy. They can survive temps down to 25°F or so for short periods but if the roots freeze you will loose your plant. You can grow them around 40°F to 50°F in the winter and 70°F to 80°F in the summer if you want a more natural schedule. If you use seasonal temps you should keep the soil much drier in the winter while its growth is slowed. Growth will slow or stop in the cooler temps. To make them grow strong all year keep them in the 65°F to 85°F range, allowing to cool at night if needed.

Water - The most important thing about water is the type to use. I personally use reverse osmosis water. Distilled from the store and rain water are also acceptable. If you get distilled water from the store make sure it says "Sodium Free" right on the front of the jug. If you have very many plants a reverse-osmosis under the sink model from Lowe's/Menards/Home Depot/etc. will pay for itself pretty quick.

The other thing about water is how much to use. Cephalotus follicularis isn't much different then Nepenthes when it comes to water. They like to be kept moist at all times, no more, so keep them well drained. Some like to flood water 1/4 of the way up the pot for 10 or 15 minutes every other day or so, allow to drain well. I like sitting the pot in a water tray with 1/4" - 1/2" of water and let it disappear for two or three days before replacing. This keeps the bottom fairly wet but it gets considerably drier as you move up the pot. My best Cephalotus' are totally dry on top. Anything that works for you and keeps the soil moist all the time will do. Never let it completely dry out or your plant will die. Keeping the media too wet is a main killer of these. Really, just moist and no more. The crown is also prone to rot so I avoid top watering to allow the top media to dry some.

Soil - Cephalotus follicularis evolved to eat bugs to make up for the nutrient poor acidic soil they naturally live in. Regular dirt or potting soil kills Cephalotus fast. I use 30% sphagnum peat moss, 40% medium perlite, 5% charcoal and 25% coconut husk. A peat/sand/perlite mix works too, and in the right conditions so does just peat/sand.
You can mix in 25% long fibered sphagnum moss and/or use it for a top dressing if you like. Make sure you get pure Sphagnum peat, you don't want Miracle Grow or any other chemicals mixed in with it. You can also use 10% silica sand and/or fir bark if you like. 100% lfsm also does well. Basically, any nep soil will do great.

The majority of small pre-moistened peat bags are contaminated, like the small bags at most lawn and garden centers. Get the dry sphagnum peat moss that comes in bails. If a bail is to much for you we sell smaller quantities in the Web Store section. Or click Carnivorous Plant Soil For Sale to go directly to Soil. You can get the components to mix your own soil or get the pre-made Cephalotus soil. We have a section explaining the soil types and where to get them in theCarnivorous Plant Soil Descriptions section

Light - Cephalotus follicularis does not require bright light but it can acclimate into full sun. It can survive happily in lower light conditions too. I grow most of mine under fluorescent lighting. If fluorescent is the primary source of light use two 40 watt cool white 4' bulbs within 14" - 24" over the plant(s). An economical shop light works well for this. Put the light on a timer to go on and off with the sun.

In brighter light Cephalotus pitchers will be smaller and more colorful, showing reds and purples. In lower light they are larger and mainly green. If you grow them outdoors protect them from direct afternoon sun, the do great in shaded areas. Mainly just watch the heat and always acclimate cephalotus into new environments. I have also had excellent results using the fluorescent type light bulbs. Use the ones that say "Daylight" on them. They produce the best light. Generally 100 watt output is fine. I put it in a clamp on light with a rear deflector shield. Place 14" - 24" above the plant.

Humidity - Cephalotus follicularis enjoys higher humidity, again, not unlike the Nepenthes. But, also like most nepenthes, high humidity is not crucial. Keep it above 40% and it should do fine. I grow them in the 45% - 55% range. If humidity is a concern you can grow them in a terrarium, especially since it grows out instead of up like Neps. Or use a plastic pot liner to create a dome over the cephalotus's pot.