Cephalotus

Albany pitcher plant family · 1 in this guide

Substrate

Two parts sand to one part peat: a light, mineral-poor mix. Always use a pot with drainage holes — a heavy, moisture-retentive soil quickly causes root rot.

Pot

Choose plastic, not unglazed terracotta — it wicks moisture away from the root zone and can leach minerals; a moderately sized pot (8-12 cm) is enough, too large increases the risk of a sour mix.

Water

Use the tray method with distilled, rain or reverse-osmosis water, but never fill the tray beyond a quarter of the pot's height and let it dry out between refills — unlike most other genera in this guide, Cephalotus does not like permanently standing water.

Location and light

Full to part sun. Indoors under grow lights at 15-30 cm distance, or on a bright windowsill; in a mild climate it can also grow outdoors.

Temperature

Daytime 16-32 °C, ideally with a clear night drop of 6-11 °C. Tolerates brief light frost down to about -7 °C, but prolonged heat can be fatal. No true winter dormancy is required, though growth slows noticeably in colder months.

Source: the per-species habitat data elsewhere in this guide, summarised by genus.