<p><strong>Ease to Grow: </strong>Moderate to challenging<br><strong>Dormancy:</strong> Required<br><strong>Native Range:</strong> Serpentine streams of coastal Mts, CA/OR<br><strong>Zones:</strong> 6-9 (5-10)<br></p> <p><i>Darlingtonia californica</i> or the Cobra Lily is in a class by itself among North American pitcher plants. It's tall, twisting lime-green tubes form a bulbous hood with numerous large windows. An appendage resembling a forked tongue hangs from the opening on the underside of the hood. Generally a lime-green, it develops a red tint in full sun. The hoods are richly laced with large white areoles (windows). Its traps are the most complex of all pitcher plants. <i>Darlingtonia</i> is clump forming, and with underground stolons, develops a nice colony in time. It grows in serpentine gravel soils along cold, fast running mountain streams in zones 9-6. It often grows in association with the butterwort <em>Pinguicula macroceras nortensis</em>. <i>Darlingtonia</i> struggles in cultivation where its roots are not kept wet and cool (50s°F). Despite this challenge, the Cobra Lily is a curious, and much sought-after specimen. Flowers are yellow and bell-shaped, resembling small <i>Sarracenia</i>. The small flowers are green and red. They generally bloom from April to July before the pitchers fully develop. Winter foliage stays green. <i>Darlingtonia</i> is named in honor of William Darlington, a 19th century botanist from Pennsylvania. It is a monospecific species. This stock is a mix of coastal and mountain forms of <i>Darlingtonia</i>. Our choice based on availability. Best growing success comes with keeping the roots cool.</p> <p><span>Plants are shipped bare-root, wrapped in damp sphagnum moss. In it's dormant season, it will be shipped as a dormant rhizome. Photographs are representative of species, and not the specific plant shipped.</span></p> <p><strong>Height:</strong> 6"- 40"<br><strong>Plant Type:</strong> Perennial, temperate<br><strong>Soil:</strong> Live Sphagnum Moss, Nepenthes Mix or All-Purpose Mix<br><strong>Light:</strong> Bright indoors, full sun to partial sun outdoors<br><strong>Use:</strong> Bog garden, greenhouse and indoors. Excellent accent plant.</p>