Sarracenia leucophylla 'Wilkerson's Red Rocket' N. Walton Co, FL

A landmark red S. leucophylla clone — Wilkerson's Red Rocket ("WRR") — sourced from the Wilkerson's bog in North Walton County, FL, and propagated widely from Mike Wang's Bay Area mother plant. Documented in a single very long primary thread (2012-2026, 81 posts).

Origin

Wild-origin S. leucophylla selected from the Wilkerson's bog in North Walton County, FL. Mike's plant came to him "via our very own Brooks Garcia." Whether Phil Wilkerson, Brooks Garcia, or another grower made the original selection is not stated explicitly in the thread. [VERIFY]

History

Pre-2012: Mike acquires the clone from Brooks Garcia, ultimately out of the Wilkerson's bog. Specific year [MISSING].
2012-05-06 (post 1): First forum documentation. Mike notes the unusual large spring pitchers and the cold-induced solid-red color of his winter pitchers from the prior season.
2012-09-23 (post 5): Fall pitcher photographs and the famous "smells very sweet... almost like woman's perfume" observation — a phenotypic detail that may be unique to this clone.
2012-12-26 (post 6): Mid-December photos. Mike notes environmental dependence — the fall pitchers didn't go quite as dark red that year as the previous winter.
2013-07-31 (post 9): Mike spots his own gifted plant under greenhouse conditions at California Carnivores; Damon (CC owner) initially didn't connect the gift. Greenhouse-grown phenotype is visibly different from outdoor-grown.
2013-09-20 (post 15): Six fall photos. Mike confirms the clone is rot-prone — "I lost one of my largest divisions this year to rhizome rot. However, once it's established, this clone grows very fast."
2013-late: Calen acquires a division from Mike. Calen later becomes the most prolific external photographer of the clone (Oregon culture).
2014-08+ : Calen's plant becoming a top performer in his collection, hitting 24" the first fall.
2015-2018: Mike and Calen swap detailed observations on fall pitcher timing, heat-driven growth (Calen's 1.5"/day in 100°F heat), and consistency. Calen reaches 30-33" pitchers by 2017.
2020-12-02 (post 72): Mike posts an unusual full-sun phenotype to clarify that phenotypic variance is normal — "With 100% certainty, this IS Wilkerson's Red Rocket! I've never seen it produce traps that look like this... Next time your leucophylla looks 'different,' keep phenotypic variance in mind."
2021-09-27 (post 75): Mike — "probably the best this clone has ever looked!"
2023-2024: Mike updates from a new growing location ~2° latitude further north. Pitcher timing shifts ~2 weeks later as a result.
2025-10-02 (post 79): Mike — "consistently a great performer year after year!"

Standout traits

Large spring pitchers. Atypical for leucophylla — most clones produce small, insignificant spring traps. Mike values this as a hybrid-breeding parent trait.
Tall, very red fall pitchers. 30-36"+ in good conditions.
Sweet pitcher fragrance. Less musty than typical leucophylla; Mike compares it directly to perfume.
Cold-driven solid red. Mike's first-winter pitchers turned solid red.
Phenotypic variance. Significantly different look between full-sun, shade, greenhouse, and seasonal conditions — same plant.

Cultivation notes

WRR is rot-prone during establishment but vigorous once settled. Mike lost a major division to rhizome rot in 2013. Other growers (Calen, OR) have not seen rot under cooler-summer culture. Heat is a major growth driver (1.5"/day reported during 100°F heat). Plan for size — 3-gallon pots are appropriate at vegetative maturity. Repot every other year rather than annually.

For color expression, full sun is preferred. Phenotypic variance under different sun/shade exposures is large enough that the same plant can look unrecognizable across two angles.

Photos

See gallery below — 65 Mike-photos spanning 2012 through 2025.

Standout traits

Large spring pitchers — unusual for leucophylla, which is 'infamous for producing small, insignificant pitchers in the spring and summer.' Important for breeding desirable hybrids.

Tall fall pitchers, capable of 30-36+ inches under good conditions; reported to potentially hit 36-40" in a warm greenhouse

Pitchers can turn solid red — particularly with cold (Mike's 2012 winter pitchers turned solid red)

Sweet-smelling pitchers — Mike: 'these pitchers smell very sweet and less musty like other leucophylla clones. It almost smells like woman's perfume.'

Vigorous once established, but rot-prone — Mike lost one of his largest divisions to rhizome rot in 2013

Phenotypically variable — under different sun/shade and seasonal conditions, the same plant can look very different (Mike, 2020-12: 'this IS Wilkerson's red rocket! I've never seen it produce traps that look like this... keep phenotypic variance in mind')

Very vigorous growth in heat — grower Calen reports 1.5" trap height per day in 100°F

Greenhouse-grown plants can look very different from outdoor-grown — Mike notes he 'didn't even recognize' a greenhouse-grown WRR at California Carnivores in 2013

Cultivation

Rot-prone, especially during establishment. Mike lost a large division to rhizome rot in 2013. Once established, the clone grows fast and recovers well. Calen (in OR) has not experienced rot issues — climate and culture matter.
Full sun preferred for color. Phenotype varies dramatically with light — Mike has shown the "sun side" vs "shade side" of the same pitcher producing very different looks (post 45499, 2020-12).
Heat drives explosive growth. Calen reports 1.5"/day during 100°F heat waves. Mike's plants in California consistently produce fall traps in early-to-mid August; after Mike moved a few degrees north, the same clone now traps roughly 2 weeks later.
Pot up generously. Calen took his plant from 4" → 6" → 3-gal pot over its development. He repots every other year, not annually, so the plant has time to settle in.
Consistent fall trap producer. Calen's 2017 endorsement: "this plant has produced big fall traps every year, never doing the phyllodia-then-dormancy thing that some even excellent clones can pull some years."

Photos (66)