Sarracenia ‘Saurus’
Everything is bigger on Sarracenia ‘Saurus’. – The height, the heft, the color, and the price tag! It’s one of the biggest, baddest man-made hybrid pitcher plants around, and no surprise, originates from the gardens of Mr. Phil Faulisi. The pitchers are tall, but more impressively, and unique to S. ‘Saurus,’ cary a mighty heft. This plant is known for setting a Sarracenia record at auction, selling for $1,025 on January 30th, 2015 which has only recently been unseated by newer Phil creations like ‘Mega Mouth.’
The following description is a modified excerpt from Phil Faulisi’s formal cultivar description of Sarracenia ‘Saurus’ submitted to the International Carnivorous Plant Society for publication on June 7th, 2016.
Sarracenia ‘Saurus’ is a primary S. moorei hybrid of (S. leucophylla × flava var. ornata) which Phil Faulisi made in the spring of 2005 and selected in 2008. This clone is a sibling to cultivars ‘Vintner’s Treasure’ and ‘Hot Lips’.
Sarracenia Saurus, which has created quite a stir worldwide, is a true beast of a pitcher plant reaching towering heights of 85-100 cm or more on well-established older plants. High ambient humidity during the growing season ensures big, robust pitcher growth. According to more than a few carnivorous plant aficionados, this is one of the single largest cultivated pitcher plants they have ever seen. As of the time that S. Saurus received cultivar status, June 7th of 2016, the plant was the largest Phil had ever created. There may be taller pitcher plants out there, but the overall girth and heftiness of this cultivar carries its weight as one of the biggest man made ever. It is a spectacle of the carnivorous pitcher plant kingdom.
Unique biology of Sarracenia Saurus
Pitcher characteristics
Sarracenia Saurus pitchers start out green overlaid with a medium red with a scattering here and there of white areolae directly under the nectar roll and extending downward 4 to 7.5cm. The hood is large and heavily ruffled approximately 10-15cm wide from side to side and 10-15 cm long from the back to the front. The heavily fluted mouth attains comparable sizing with the hood and has a very smooth and glossy appearance.
As the pitchers mature they take on a deep plum/red color from the lid to approximately two thirds the length down the pitcher tube. The entire inside of the pitcher becomes a shimmering “met- alized” rich, dark plum that has that highly polished and iridescent look in full sunlight.
Other notable characteristics
Sarracenia Saurus flowers are red, typical for a S. moorei, and arise on stalks equally as tall as the pitchers. In late summer a secondary set of pitchers are produced that are also very tall and colorful, but not as robust in girth as the spring growth.
Propagation must be done via division and cuttings in order to maintain this plant’s unique features. This cultivar’s epithet ‘Saurus’ was coined by Phil’s friend and colleague Rob Co in 2009 as a reference to its dinosaur huge proportions.
All Sarracenia Saurus photos with black backgrounds credited to Jeremiah Harris, who, coincidentally, has the occasional saurus for sale. If he has one available, you’ll be able to find it, here.
Other Sarracenia hybrids and species
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