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Cobra Lily Plants
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The
Cobra Lily lives in southwestern
Oregon and northern
California.
This carnivorous plant lures its insect prey with a sweet smell which is inside
the leaf opening.
Once inside, the insect becomes confused by the many areas that look like exits.
As the insect checks these false exits searching for an escape place, it is led
down the tube structure and is unable to return to the top of the plant because
of the slippery smooth surface of the inner tube and the sharp, downward
pointing hairs which block any chance of escape. Eventually, the insects will
fall into a pool of liquid digestive acids in the base of the leaf.
Cobra Lilies like bright light but not direct sunlight. Ideally, they should be
grown in living moss. High humidity is not nearly as important for these plants
as it is for certain other
carnivorous plants,
but a certain amount of humidity should be
maintained. Although Cobra Lilies can withstand temperatures as low as freezing
or as high as 100 degrees, the good growing temperature should be between 70 and
80 degrees, with night temperatures being about 20 degrees cooler.
Watering is by far the most important aspect of keeping your Cobra Lily healthy.
Its natural habitat is in swampy areas, near mountain streams where it stays
relatively cool and constantly has cool water running over the root system. You
could try to imitate this environment by flushing fresh water (distilled or rain
water) through its pot every day. Do not fertilize your plant!
Cobra Lilies have a large, extensive root system with branching runners that
will produce new plants at their ends. They should be planted in a large pot. A
Cobra Lily may grow to four feet tall, so eventually you will need to find a
much larger container to use.
