- Breeder
- Phil Faulisi
- First described
- 2014
- Type
- named cultivar registered
- Cultivar
- 'Black Widow'
Phil Faulisi's intensely-dark hybrid cultivar — among the blackest Sarracenia in cultivation. Mike's documentation thread is the reference record for the clone's coloring dynamics, the trap-aging-to-black requirement, and the cultivation conditions that distinguish a true "Black Widow" from a "pretty dark widow."
History
Mike first photographed the clone in July 2014 (post #1, 2014) — but the plant was Rob Co's; Mike was holding it temporarily and grabbed "cheater" photos. Mike didn't have his own division until 2015.
Mike acquired the "absolute most PINNER" (small) division in 2015. It nearly died mid-season but produced its first stunning trap in 2016-05-14 (post #13). The 2016-06-20 trap (post #20) was Mike's darkest — he proposed the joke nickname "S. BLACK as EF" and floated the possibility of a sport/mutation.
Phil himself appears in post #19 (2016-06-01) sharing his own plants of the clone he named.
Subsequent seasons varied — the 2019 season (posts #28-50) was a long slow-coloring narrative that resolved in solid darkness by August. 2020 produced both an "almost black widow" early-season trap (post #51) and the dramatically-colored 2020-07-05 traps (post #52). 2023 was excellent (post #58).
Provenance + ICPS-registration error
mahlon (post #59, 2025-01-09) added a critical taxonomic correction: the ICPS registration of S. 'Black Widow' lists the alata parent incorrectly as "Black" — the actual cross used Phil's alata "Black Throat." mahlon: "This is confirmed elsewhere on the internet, as well as can be seen in his 2024 seedlist where he redid the cross but used a Flava Atropurpurea instead of a Rubricorpora."
This is important for breeding-line work — anyone trying to recreate the Black Widow phenotype from "alata Black" will be using the wrong parent.
Mike (post #39, 2019-06-14) raised the broader Leah-Wilkerson-style provenance concern: "If you care about acquiring the real deal, be very careful who you acquire this plant from, make sure they have a solid reputation."
Standout traits
- Among the darkest cultivation Sarracenia
- Trap-aging-to-black coloring dynamic (~1 month full sun)
- Bright-red intermediate phase
- Vigorous once established
- Year-to-year color inconsistency
Cultivation notes
- Blasting full sun + ~1 month aging required for black expression
- New divisions: a full season to acclimate before peak color
- Heat-wave damage to maturing traps prematurely ends the coloring window
- Don't write off "pretty dark widow" early traps — coloring continues for weeks after opening
Standout traits
- Among the darkest / blackest Sarracenia in cultivation. Mike (post #20, 2016): 'easily the blackest, darkest Sarracenia in cultivation' (referring to a specific 2016 trap)
- Time-to-color: about a month after the trap opens in blasting full sun (Mike, post #32, 2019); recent divisions may take a full season to adjust before reaching peak color
- Trap-aging required — Mike (post #30, 2019): 'this clone really needs to have the traps age for quite a while before they blacken up'
- Bright red intermediate phase before going black — Mike (post #13, 2016) appreciated this red phase, saying it 'might be even better than when it gets darker'
- Vigorous when established — sidorian (post #25, 2019) noted 'Honestly I was shocked with how vigorous this pitcher is' once he understood its potential after two seasons of mediocre performance
Cultivation
Outdoor Northern California. Key cultivation rules:
- Full sun for ~1+ month after trap opens to reach black coloration (Mike, post #32, 2019). Anything less than blasting full sun produces "almost black widow" or "pretty dark widow" results.
- Recent divisions need an adjustment season. Mike (post #32, 2019): "New, recent divisions might take a season to adjust to their new environment before coloring up to their fullest potential."
- Trap-aging is required — color develops over weeks-to-months after the trap opens, not at opening. Don't dismiss the clone if early-season traps look red-not-black.
- Heat-wave damage during the maturation window can prematurely fry traps before they reach full black (Mike, post #30, 2019).
- Inconsistent year-to-year: Mike's 2020 was 'almost black widow' (post #51); 2020 mid-summer caught up dramatically (post #52, 2020-07); 2023 was excellent (post #58, 2023-08-22).
Mike (post #20, 2016) speculated that one of his particularly extreme traps might be a "sport or mutant" he proposed jokingly calling "S. BLACK as EF" — i.e., even within the named clone there can be individual-trap or division-level variance.
Provenance warning (Mike, post #39, 2019): "If you care about acquiring the real deal, be very careful who you acquire this plant from, make sure they have a solid reputation." Mike linked the Leah Wilkerson controversy thread as a precedent.
Photos (32)
Naming
Phil Faulisi-named cultivar. Mike (post #16, 2016) on the name fit: "While this probably isn't the exact reason Phil named the cultivar black widow, the name is absolutely a perfect fit for this jaw dropping cultivar."