Carnivorous Plant Diseases

A mistake commonly made by growers of carnivorous plants is that they are immune to the common diseases that other plants suffer from. Despite their fierce reputation, however, these meat-eating plants are just as likely to fall prey to illness and infection. By knowing what to look out for, you can keep your plant healthy longer.

Sclerotinia

All carnivorous plants can suffer from sclerotinia, but pitcher plants are most susceptible to it. Sclerotinia begins at the roots of the plant and progresses upwards, causing the plant to become discolored. Due to the unique natural colors of carnivorous plants, this discoloration may be difficult to spot; it is wrong to assume that the plant will simply turn gray or brown. A dark red plant may fade to pink. Other symptoms of sclerotinia include a loss of shape; plants may look as if they are wilting and sinking towards the ground. Once plants become discolored, the infection has normally progressed too far for recovery, making the priority saving healthy plants; remove, wash and re-pot them in fresh soil.

Carnivorous plants are susceptible to mold because they grow in boggy, humid places. Botrytis is a fluffy gray mold that targets Venus flytraps and sarracenias, particularly during the spring and fall months. The mold is easy to spot, as it cover the leaves and stems of the plant. Remove all dead foliage on a regular basis, and cut off and dispose of any parts of the plant that are infected. Petals should be removed from any old flowers in case they drop off and fall into the crown of the plant, which can encourage botrytis to form.

Carnivorous plants with spot diseases have small, discolored patches of spots, which must be dealt with right away if the plant is to be saved. Flytraps are susceptible to black spot, while nepenthes is often affected by rust spot, but all species can be afflicted with spots of any color. If your carnivorous plant has a spot disease, remove all infected leaves immediately and treat the rest of the plant with a fungicide.