Cephalotus follicularis 'Wilhelma'

Origin

Reportedly originates from the Wilhelma botanical garden / zoo in Stuttgart, Germany — Mike's source for the cultivar etymology. The clone is far more common in European cultivation than US, where acquisition is "nearly impossible" through normal channels. The few US growers who have it haven't typically had divisions available.

Mike imported his plant from a deemed-reliable European source. Critical naming caveat: anything labeled "Wilhelma SG" is a selfed seedling from the mother plant, not the original clone. This distinction is widely missed in the trade — many US "Wilhelma" plants are actually Wilhelma SG.

Identification key

The original clone produces slightly bulbous, wide-shaped traps. Phenotypic plasticity is high — a single plant can produce different trap shapes between fall and spring (Mike's 2024 fall vs 2025 spring photos show this dramatically). Don't reject a labeled Wilhelma based on one season; long-term absence of bulbous-wide traps is more diagnostic than any single trap shape.

Cultivation notes

Mike's broader Cephalotus mortality protocol applies in full to Wilhelma — and Wilhelma nearly died proving it. After a 2024 heatwave killed all of Mike's Wilhelma traps, the plant came back with new pitchers. Mike's distilled rule: never let soil temperature exceed 85°F (29°C) — heatwaves trigger sudden cephalotus death syndrome weeks to months later, not at the time of the stress.

Standout traits

Slightly bulbous, wide trap shape — Mike's identification key for the original clone (vs Wilhelma SG selfed seedlings).

Spring traps look 'WAY different' than fall traps on the same plant — phenotypic plasticity is high. A clone that doesn't show bulbous-wide traps right now isn't necessarily fake; absence over years is more diagnostic.

Substantially more abundant in Europe than the US.

Cultivation

Mike's note on Cephalotus mortality and what saved this clone:

Across the broader Cephalotus collection, Mike has killed 150+ plants over the years. The pattern: plants kept getting too hot during heatwaves, leading to sudden cephalotus death syndrome weeks or months later. The fix: keep soil temperature below 85°F (29°C). Wilhelma itself nearly died this way in 2024 — lost all traps after a heatwave but came back with new pitchers.

Mike's framing: killing 150+ plants is the most effective way to understand how to keep them alive. Many growers won't have these losses because they grow under different conditions, but climate change or moves will eventually expose them to the same failure modes.

Photos (11)