The genus Cephalotus includes only one species and is therefore monotypic. The Albany pitcher plant has a rhizome with roots, which sometimes makes repotting difficult. It also forms two different types of rosette-shaped leaves: In the cold season, non-carnivorous winter leaves are formed and in summer the typical pitchers are produced, which can grow up to 5 cm in size (normal / typical form). When there is enough light, the pitchers turn deep red to violet, but remain somewhat smaller than in partial shade. The flower stem can be up to 60 cm long and bears several small white flowers. It should also be mentioned that the plant and even the seeds are particially very hairy.

Cephalotus follicularis

English name: Albany Pitcher Plant
Described by: Jacques Julien Houtton de la Billardière (1806)
Distribution: South Western Australia (400 km long and 50 km wide coastline between Albany and Busselton)
Habit, Duration: terrestrial, perennial

My own experience:
I had my first encounter with a species in a hardware store. I immediately fell in love with in this interesting plant. That was pretty much in the beginning, when I discovered my passion for carnivorous plants. For this reason, I didn't know what kind of plant it was at the time. After a few days the adventure was already over: the small Albany pitcher plant perished because of a root fungus.
It wasn't until two years later that I tried my luck again. To my astonishment, a flower stalk formed after a growth stop! Thanks to successful pollination, I was able to harvest the first seeds a few weeks later. After another few weeks the first seeds germinated, but unfortunately the seedlings grew extremely slowly. Another method of propagation that I tested were leaf cuttings. Three months later, only half of the leaves were left, but the few new plants grew very quickly.

Another tip: If the pitchers close while high heat, this is because the evaporation of the digestive fluid should be prevented. Under optimal conditions, however, they open again. What you should avoid in any case is to fill the pitchers with water, as it can usually result in the pitchers dying. However, I was rarely able to observe this myself and the plants hardly have a problem with it under optimal conditions.

Light: bright to very bright, south side is well suited
Humidity: >60 %
Temperature: Summer: 20-35 °C, Winter: 10-15 °C
Substrate: Perlite-peat-sand mixture or dead sphagnum mixture
Watering: no accumulation, roots may rot
Propagation: Leaf cuttings, seeds, root cuttings, division

Level of difficulty: