Light, food, and water: the three essentials to keeping your pitcher plant alive! These plants are finicky and will let you know when they are short on one of their three needs. If you see your plant’s leaves beginning to blacken, that’s a sign it’s going into dormancy or shock. If you’re unsure which of the two states it is in, keep it cool and provide sunlight, then wait to see if it comes back to life!
Key Takeaways:
- Something as simple as a change in conditions the plant experiences when you bring it home from the nursery can cause shock.
- You may occasionally see dormant pitcher plants with black leaves, but it’s even more likely that the plant is dead. Pitcher plants go dormant in fall.
- You can help your plant survive dormancy by keeping it cool and giving it lots of sunlight. You can leave it outdoors if your winters are mild—just remember to bring it in if a frost threatens
“When pitcher plant (Nepenthes) leaves are turning black, it is usually the result of shock or a sign that the plant is going into dormancy.”
http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/pitcher-plants/black-pitcher-plant-leaves.htm