Visible effects of the cold on carnivorous plants

You may have noticed this with your carnivorous plants: some tend to turn a vivid red when the nights start to get cold. This can be seen in the Venus flytrap, but it’s even more noticeable in the Cephalotus.

This specimen, grown in a large pot outdoors, has already endured a few cold nights, with temperatures slightly below 0°C. The days that followed were mild. Whilst it is still in good condition, all its foliage has taken on a reddish hue. Temperature fluctuations between day and night colour the plants and, moreover, make them more resilient and vigorous.

In this case, Cephalotus follicularis eventually becomes stressed in a warm terrarium. From autumn onwards, a bit of cold does it a world of good and gives it this beautiful red colour.