Cobra Lily – Darlingtonia californica - 9cm pot
The cobra lily is a great highlight in any carnivore collection. When its leaf traps rise like a dangerous cobra, it attracts astonished looks
Because of its resemblance to the said venomous cobra, the Darlingtonia is one of the most interesting plants in the world.
Catching mechanism:
The extraordinary leaves of the cobra lily are specialised in catching insects. The leaves/traps can be divided into different sections and each section performs a different task.
The prey is attracted by the so-called snake''s tongue - a v-shaped appendage that is often coloured red and produces nectar. The snake''s tongue also serves as a landing place for all flying insects. Hairiness towards the opening makes the path to the supposed food easier.
In the actual opening, even more nectar is produced to lure the prey further down. Above this sits the so-called cap, the part that gives the plant its characteristic appearance. The curved leaf tips resemble a walking stick or the cobra that gives it its name. It covers the tube and prevents the rain from diluting the digestive juice on the one hand and the prey from escaping upwards on the other. What is particularly nasty here is that the bonnet has many chlorophyll-free spots at its highest point. Like windows, these allow sunlight to shine into the inside of the trap, so that flying insects try to take this way out and eventually fall down as they try to escape.
The upper and lower tube areas, just like the bonnet before, have both a smooth wax layer and directional hairiness. Both make a return to freedom as difficult as possible.
The lower part of the tube is finally completely smooth and is used exclusively for digestion. For this purpose, the Darlingtonia forms a secretion and also receives support from symbiotic bacteria.
Another particularly clever feature is that the cobra lily forms two different leaf shapes: one that stands freely upright and one that lies on the ground. One variant for the flying prey, the other for the crawling insects.
Care and location
The cobra lily likes a sunny outdoor location, making it ideal for a bog bed, for example. In its natural habitat, it usually grows near flowing water that keeps the roots cool. In cultivation, it also likes it rather cool at the feet. If this is not possible in your bog bed, you can also let the cobra lily thrive in a clay pot.
The roots of the Darlingtonia grow more in width than in depth and it forms underground runners. It is therefore possible that in your bog bed, cobra lilies will suddenly sprout from the ground in different places. For this reason, a wide clay pot rather than a tall pot is recommended if you cannot or do not want to create a bog bed.
The plant is conditionally hardy, so after a period of hardening off it can overwinter outdoors in a sheltered location. To overwinter Darlingtonia on a windowsill, the plant needs plenty of light and the temperature should be around 10-15°C. The plant should also not be too wet. The plant should also not be kept too wet, as the tender roots are sensitive and rot easily.
With Darlingtonia californica you can prove your skills in keeping carnivorous plants!
Name: Cobra Lily
Botanical name: Darlingtonia californica
Pot size: 9cm pot
Home: American West Coast - Northern California and Southern Oregon
