Sarracenia Flower

 

American Pitcher Plant - Sarracenia

Growing:
Sarracenia alata - Harrison County, MS - off of Route 10 - Black/Red - #9501
Sarracenia 'Dana's Delight'
Sarracenia flava var. rubricorpora
Sarracenia leucophylla
Sarracenia leucophylla 'Hurricane Creek White' - Hurricane Creek, AL
Sarracenia minor - Long County, GA
Sarracenia oreophila - ESA/CITES
Sarracenia psittacina
Sarracenia purpurea ssp. venosa
Sarracenia purpurea - Black/Red (Rob Sacilotto)

 

Light: I grow mine outside in full sun.

Soil: I grow mine in a mix of peat moss, long fiber sphagnum, perlite, and sand. I use sand to give the pots some weight so they do not blow over in heavy winds.

Water: Use rainwater, distilled, or reverse osmosis. Use the tray method. Place your pitchers in a plastic water tray with 1/2" of water. I have read were the Pitcher Plant's seem to be happy completely waterlogged, but have not grown mine that way. I let the water in the tray evaporate and stay dry for a day or two before I water the plant again.

Humidity: Pitcher Plant's should have humidity no less then 35%.

Climate: Pitcher Plant's like warm summers in the 60-95°F range, and chilly winters down to 40°F. Most Pitcher Plant's will need to go dormant for at least 3 months in the winter time. S. purpurea which comes from colder areas and requires a dormant period of 5 months. I bring mine into an unheated garage when the temperature hits freezing.

 

The American pitcher plant is native to the southeastern United States with the exception of one, which grows all the way up to Canada.

American Pitcher plants traps are long and tubular which attract insects by color and nectar. The nectar is believed to have an intoxicating effect on the insects. Insects fall down the tube, which has slippery downward pointing hairs allowing the insect to go deeper into the tube, but do not allow it to escape. Digestive juices are secreted at the lower portion of the pitcher which dissolve the insect. The plant then reabsorbs the nutrient rich fluid.

One thing I do with a lot of my Sarracenia, is to let them catch all the bugs they want early in the season. Then later in the season when most produce the nicest pitchers, I stuff cotton in the tube openings so that the pitchers do not turn brown from all the bugs that they catch.

 

Sarracenia alata - 7/06
Sarracenia alata is native to North America.
The pitchers typically get around 24" tall. The nicest pitchers start to form towards the middle of the growing season.

Sarracenia 'Dana's Delight' - ?
This is a complex hybrid of a Sarracenia psittacina, Sarracenia purpurea, and Sarracenia leucophylla. The exact parentage, however, is unknown.
The pitchers typically get around 20 " tall. The nicest pitchers start to form towards the end of the growing season.

Sarracenia flava var. rubricorpora - 9/04
Sarracenia flava var. rubricorpora is native to North America.
The pitchers typically get around 32 " tall. The nicest pitchers are formed early in the growing season. The middle of the season it produces non carnivorous leaves called phyllodia.

Sarracenia leucophylla - 3/04
Sarracenia leucophylla is native to North America.
The pitchers typically get around 36" tall. The nicest pitchers start to form towards the end of the growing season.

Sarracenia minor - ?
Sarracenia minor is native to North America.
The pitchers typically get around 12" tall. The nicest pitchers are formed early in the growing season.

Sarracenia oreophila -
Sarracenia oreophila is native to North America.
The pitchers typically get around 28" tall. The nicest pitchers are formed early in the growing season. The middle of the season it produces non carnivorous leaves called phyllodia.

Sarracenia psittacina - 1/06
Sarracenia psittacina is native to North America.
The pitchers typically get around 6" long and lay horizontal to the ground. This plant has nice pitchers all season long.

Sarracenia purpurea - 5/03
Sarracenia purpurea is native to North America.
The pitchers typically get around 8" tall. This plant has nice pitchers all season long.

 

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