Sarracenia x Shelob's Lair (Shipped Bare-Root)

Sarracenia Shelob’s Lair was bred by Jeremiah Harris and originally circulated under the working designation Titan x Black Widow #1. The cultivar name came naturally from the plant itself. The intricate veining pattern across the pitchers was reminiscent of a spiderweb, which led to naming it after Shelob, the great spider of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings.

It produces it’s notoriously dark pictures late in the fall to early winter.

This is a plant where the name earns itself. The weblike patterning is not subtle, and the Titan x Black Widow lineage backs up the visual drama with genuine size and presence. A fitting addition from a grower with more than 30 years of Sarracenia experience behind the cross.

Care Requirements

Light — 8+ hours of direct sun daily. Outdoors in full sun or a south-facing greenhouse is ideal.

Water — Pure water only, under 50ppm dissolved solids. Use distilled, reverse osmosis, or collected rainwater. Most tap water will not work. Use the tray method — keep roots sitting in 1–2 inches of water at all times during the growing season.

Soil — Pure peat moss or long-fiber sphagnum, with optional perlite or sand added for drainage. Garden soil will not work.

Dormancy — Required. Allow 3 to 4 months of cold dormancy each winter for long-term health.

Hardiness — Zones 6–9 outdoors depending on species, or overwinter indoors in a cool location.

Shipping & What to Expect

Our bare root Sarracenia (North American pitcher plants) are shipped according to their natural growing cycle. During the active growing season (spring through early fall), you'll receive a plant with live foliage, often including vibrant pitchers. In the winter months, Sarracenia naturally enter dormancy and will be shipped without leaves or with brown, dying pitchers — this is completely normal and essential for the plant's long-term health.

Please note that the plant and photo shown are representative of the variety but not the exact plant you will receive. Each plant is unique, and we guarantee a healthy, established rhizome ready to grow.