Q: Cephalotus: various types

• Maroon
• Purple
• Crimson
• Green
• & front view
• Side view

A: There is but one species in the genus: Cephalotus follicularis Labill. The plant does not occur over a wide range, so it is unlikely there are very many variant forms.

With that preamble, there are some forms of interest that have been identified by horticulturists and naturalists. Some of these produce leaves times larger than normal--they can be several cm (3 inches) long! These large plants were given, en masse, the cultivar name Cephalotus 'Hummer's Giant' after John Hummer. Because the cultivar name was described very broadly, all so-called giant plants have this name. However, some clones of Cephalotus 'Hummer's Giant' are bigger and better than others, and informal names have evolved to designate them.

Sometimes plants in the wild have pitchers that are very darkly pigmented red, purple, or even nearly black. They look fabulous. I think these are plants that are growing really well in the wild, and are getting everything they want. I do not think they are special pigmentation variants. But who knows--one cultivar ('Eden Black') has been established to indicate a very dark clone. Maybe there are some really great entities out there with nifty horticultural potential waiting to be discovered!

Page citations: Hummer, J. 2000; Rice, B.A. 2006a; personal observations.