About Us

Being in the Pacific Northwest, our summers and winters are moderated by the cool Pacific Ocean, but we've had some very extreme temperatures. Our coldest temperature was 7°F (-14°C) in December, 2009. Our hottest temperature was 116° (46°C) in June, 2021.

We practice what we preach. We grow outdoor perennials outside where they experience all that nature will throw at them. In winter, they freeze. In summer, they bask in full sun. This means your plants will be acclimated for outdoor growing regardless of the season or your region of the country.

We also have a heated greenhouse for our tropical plants. In winter, we crank up the heat and supplement natural sunlight with LED lights. In summer, we open the greenhouse doors and use exhaust fans to keep the temperature down. Regardless of the season, all tropical plants are acclimated for windowsill growing and fluctuating humidity.

No terrariums are required!

Jeff Dallas

Jeff Dallas started Sarracenia Northwest in 1995 out of a passion for carnivorous plants. As a young teenager, he started his journey with a single Venus flytrap. He later learned how to grow Sarracenia, sundews, butterworts, and Nepenthes, and he did this during a time when the internet was non-existent. Much of his learning had to come from obscure books and trial-and-error. Twenty years later, his collection grew large enough that he was able to sell his excess plants at a local outdoor market in Portland, Oregon. The rest is history!

Jeff earned a Bachelor of Arts in General Science with a certificate in Elementary Education from Seattle Pacific University. With an educational background, Jeff enjoys teaching new growers about carnivorous plants, whether it's at the farmers' market or giving presentations throughout the community. Jeff also works for the Outdoor School with the Multnomah Educational School District, a program for sixth graders to learn about the outdoor sciences - native plants, water resources, soil, wildlife, and weather.

Jeff's favorite plants are Sarracenia. In the photo, he's holding one of his hybrids, Sarracenia Lorax (also known as Margaret Eng).

When not working with plants, Jeff enjoys watching reruns of Star Trek and old sci-fi movies, especially Godzilla.

Jacob Farin

Jacob earned his Bachelor of Music Music Performance at the University of Oregon and later completed all the pre-med courses - Biology, Physics, Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and Biochemistry. He received an additional degree from the National College of Naturopathic Medicine and fulfilled a career in healthcare. Early in his career, Jacob met Jeff Dallas and grew a strong interest in carnivorous plants.

In 2003, he left the clinic to develop the online portion of Sarracenia Northwest, first as cobraplant.com, then later as Growcarnivorousplants.com, Inc. Throughout the years, he has worked on many educational projects, such as the Grow Carnivorous Plants DVDs, The Ultimate Carnivorous Plant Guide for Beginners, and the monthly care videos. Jacob is also the person who oversees the packaging and shipping of orders.

Jacob's favorite plants are Nepenthes and Heliamphora. In the photo, he is holding one of his favorite Heliamphora hybrids.

When not working with plants, Jacob enjoys playing vintage French flutes, those made in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Sean Springfield

Sean joined the nursery in September 2020. He moved to the Portland area from Gainesville, Florida, specifically to work for Sarracenia Northwest! He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Horticultural Science from the University of Florida and has extensive experience growing and breeding Nepenthes.

At the nursery, Sean oversees plant propagation of all types and maintains a catalog of the thousands of plants at the nursery. He also prevents plant diseases and pests through regular examinations and treatments of the collection and ensures all plants meet the high standards that customers have come to expect from Sarracenia Northwest.

Sean's favorite plants are Nepenthes. In the photo, he is holding Nepenthes Peter D'Amato.

When not working with plants, Sean enjoys playing the piano, growing rhodedandrons, and exploring ramen shops in the Portland area.

Brooke Jensen

Brooke had been a long-time customer, purchasing her first plant from us in the 1990s. She came onboard full-time in 2020. But after a couple of years, she left the nursery to pursue a career in dog training. Now, she's a vetenarian assistant! However, the lure of working with carnivorous plants is unescapable, and she returned to the nursery part-time.

At the nursery, Brooke assists with potting and plant propagation. Her favorite plant is the Venus Flytrap. In the photo, she is holding a large pot of King Herny Flytraps.

During her free time, Brooke enjoys gardening and playing with dogs.

Sara, The Sarracenia Pup

Sara joined the nursery in August, 2018. Though very inexperienced at first, she has proven to be a very good doggy. Her chief duty at the nursery include water testing. She makes sure the water in the Sarracenia pools is the right temperature and depth by lying down in the pools. She also plays a key role in quality control. Through her initiative, we now send all plants to the lab for inspection prior to shipping.

Her favorite plants are those that are easy to dig up.

When not working, which is almost all the time, she really enjoys chasing tennis balls. A lot. Maybe too much.

Luke, The Leucophylla Pup

Luke joined the nursery in January 2021. Although he was new to the world of carnivorous plants, or to the world in general, he learned very quickly. With some training by Sara, Luke now works alongside her, inspecting plants for shipping. He also took the initiative to take charge of security, making sure the neighbor's dog stays on his side of the fence.

Luke's favorite plant is lawn grass. He loves to lie down on it during the summer.

In his spare time, which is all the time, he likes to look for lost tennis balls and will enthusiastically encourage anyone and everyone to play fetch with him.

Want to visit the nursery?
While we're generally closed to the public, we invite customers to visit us during scheduled open houses. These events occur June through September. Space is limited, and reservations are required. We also vend at various events in the Portland area. Visit the events page for more details.