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North American pitcher plants have it all: fearsomely efficient flycatchers and easy for beginners to grow, the eight species of Sarracenia are bizarre and beautiful.
Most have tall, narrow pitchers which attract insects with bright colours and inviting scents. Visitors are forced into perilous positions by waxy surfaces or tricked by transparent leaves, while nectar laced with poison intoxicates them. Those who slip and tumble down the pitcher are trapped by downward-pointing hairs and quickly digested by the plant’s own enzymes.
Many Sarracenia - also known as trumpet pitchers - are very easy growers, and are among the best carnivorous plants for beginners. But with 8 different species, countless forms of each, and the infinite possibilities of hybridisation, collecting Sarracenia can become a lifelong hobby!
Sarracenia care at a glance:
- Light: Full, direct sun - at least six hours a day. A greenhouse, conservatory, or the sunniest windowsill you have.
- Water: Rainwater, distilled, or deionised water only. Stand the pot in a tray of about 2 cm (1 inch) of water through spring and summer.
- Soil: Sphagnum peat mixed with perlite or lime-free sand, roughly 2:1. No fertiliser.
- Winter: A cold dormancy from around November to February, at roughly 0-10°C (32-50°F).
- Food: Plants kept outside catch their own. Indoors, an occasional dried insect is plenty.
Let’s get started!
- Where do pitcher plants come from?
- List of Sarracenia species
- Growing Locations
- Soil & Water
- Winter Dormancy & Division
- Feeding Pitcher Plants
- Pests & Problems
- Flowers & Seeds
- Where to buy Pitcher Plants
- Sarracenia FAQs
1. Where do pitcher plants come from?
Sarracenia pitcher plants are mostly found on the southeastern coastal plains of North America, and grow in sunny, open wetlands. The greatest diversity can be found in Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina, although one species extends north along the east coast into the Upper Midwest and Canada. Sarracenia populations have declined rapidly in recent years due to drainage of their habitats for housing developments. Some species are now critically endangered.
Hover for more detail, and use the controls on the left to zoom.
Notes: Map data sourced from McPherson & Schnell's 2011 monograph Sarraceniaceae of North America, the USDA PLANTS Database, and Barry Rice's website. Non-native species (e.g. any planted in California) have been omitted. If you spot any mistakes, please click here to send me an email.
These bogs and wet pine savannas are naturally kept open by regular fires, which clear away the shrubs and trees that would otherwise shade the pitcher plants out. That tells you most of what you need to know about growing them: lots of sun, permanently wet and nutrient-poor soil, and hot summers followed by cold winters.
Sarracenia oreophila and two subspecies of Sarracenia rubra are listed as federally endangered in the United States, and many local populations of other species are protected. Never collect plants from the wild - nursery-grown plants are cheap, vigorous, and far better suited to life in cultivation.
2. List of Sarracenia Species
There are currently eight recognised species of Sarracenia (taxonomic controversy aside!). These are:
- Sarracenia alata - “the Pale pitcher plant”
- Sarracenia flava - “the Yellow pitcher plant”
- Sarracenia leucophylla - “the White pitcher plant”
- Sarracenia minor - “the Hooded pitcher plant”
- Sarracenia oreophila - “the Green pitcher plant”
- Sarracenia psittacina - “the Parrot pitcher plant”
- Sarracenia purpurea - “the Purple pitcher plant”
- Sarracenia rubra - “the Sweet pitcher plant”
Some botanists recognise up to eleven, treating Sarracenia rosea as separate from S. purpurea, and Sarracenia jonesii and Sarracenia alabamensis as separate from S. rubra. You’ll see both naming schemes on nursery labels.
Sarracenia alata
The pale pitcher plant grows tall, slender pitchers - up to about 75 cm (30 inches) - which are usually pale yellow-green with fine red veins, although some forms are heavily veined or almost entirely dark red. It’s the westernmost species, found along the Gulf Coast from Alabama to eastern Texas.
Sarracenia flava
My favourite! The yellow pitcher plant is the classic trumpet pitcher, with tall yellow-green pitchers up to a metre high and a broad lid held over the mouth. It grows from southeastern Virginia down to northern Florida and Alabama. There are several named varieties, from the all-yellow var. maxima and the heavily veined var. ornata to var. rugelii (the “cutthroat”, with a red blotch in the throat) and the deep red var. atropurpurea. S. flava is vigorous and one of the hardier species.
Sarracenia leucophylla
The white pitcher plant (or white-topped pitcher plant) is arguably the most striking species, with tall pitchers whose upper parts are white and laced with red or green veins. It grows along the Gulf Coast in the Florida panhandle, southern Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. It produces some pitchers in spring, but its best growth comes in a second flush in late summer and autumn, so don’t be disappointed by a quiet start to the year. Its flowers are red.
Sarracenia minor
The hooded pitcher plant has a lid that arches right over the mouth of the pitcher, and the back of the pitcher is dotted with translucent white “windows”. Insects inside fly towards these false exits, tire, and fall in. Most plants are under 40 cm (16 inches) tall, although var. okefenokeensis from the Okefenokee Swamp can grow more than twice that size. It’s found in the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida, and ants make up much of its prey.
Sarracenia oreophila
The green pitcher plant is the rarest species, surviving at a small number of sites in Alabama, Georgia, and North Carolina. Unlike the others, it grows in upland areas rather than on the coastal plain. It produces pitchers in spring, then switches to flat, non-carnivorous leaves called phyllodia by midsummer. This can alarm new growers, but it’s normal!
Sarracenia psittacina
The parrot pitcher plant is the oddball of the genus. Its small pitchers lie flat on the ground in a rosette, each with a rounded, beak-like hood. Prey that wanders in through the small entrance is guided deeper by inward-pointing hairs, much like a lobster pot. In the wild its habitats are often flooded, and submerged pitchers can catch small aquatic creatures. It grows along the Gulf Coast from Florida to Louisiana, and is happy with a higher water level than other species.
Sarracenia purpurea
The purple pitcher plant is the most widespread species by far. S. purpurea subsp. venosa grows on the southeastern coastal plain, while S. purpurea subsp. purpurea extends up through the northeastern US and the Great Lakes and across much of Canada - it’s the floral emblem of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Rather than tall trumpets, it grows squat, open pitchers which fill with rainwater. Prey drowns in this water and is broken down with the help of a tiny community of bacteria and insect larvae living inside the pitcher. Plants from the Gulf Coast with pink flowers are sometimes treated as a separate species, Sarracenia rosea.
S. purpurea is the hardiest species, and the best choice for growing outdoors in the UK. It has even naturalised in bogs in parts of Ireland and Britain. Its compact size also makes it the best candidate for a windowsill.
Sarracenia rubra
The sweet pitcher plant takes its name from its sweetly scented red flowers. It grows slender, upright pitchers, often red-veined and with a small lid, and is generally smaller than the trumpet species. It’s split into several subspecies across the southeast, including the endangered subsp. jonesii of the North and South Carolina mountains and subsp. alabamensis of central Alabama.
Sarracenia hybrids
North American pitcher plants are unusual in that all species can be hybridised, and that these crosses result in fertile offspring. In other words, Sarracenia taxonomy involves a fascinating mixture of complex hybrids, backcrosses and cultivars, many of which are extraordinarily beautiful!
Many hybrids occur naturally in the wild and were once given names as if they were species. Sarracenia × catesbaei, for example, is a hybrid between Sarracenia flava and Sarracenia purpurea, while Sarracenia × moorei is Sarracenia flava crossed with Sarracenia leucophylla.
The vigour often exhibited by hybrids is another reason why hybrids - along with the super-hardy Sarracenia purpurea! - are frequently recommended to first-time growers. In the UK, Hampshire Carnivorous Plants sells a wide variety of pitcher plants including famous cultivars like S. ‘Brooks Hybrid’ and S. ‘Judith Hindle’ as well as fun crosses suitable for beginners. US nursery California Carnivores has an extensive Sarracenia breeding program, and they offer a wide range of attractive and easy-growing pitcher plants. By using the code tomscarnivores at checkout, you’ll also get 10% off your order!
3. Where to grow pitcher plants
Sarracenia grow best in full direct sun. As such, they are candidates for only the brightest of windowsills - a lack of direct sunlight will cause your plants to become weak and poorly-coloured. If you wish to grow Sarracenia on a windowsill, choose a smaller species like Sarracenia purpurea or a hybrid involving it.
Terrariums are generally unsuitable. While seedlings can thrive in a terrarium, you will struggle to provide the light intensity required by adult plants. Remember too that erect species like Sarracenia leucophylla can reach almost a meter tall!
Generally, Sarracenia grow best in unheated greenhouses and conservatories. They are quite temperature tolerant, with conditions in their natural habitats frequently reaching 32°C (90°F) during summer. While some can be grown outside year-round in the US and UK - in a bog garden, for example - the taller species don’t always cope well with strong winds, and as such are better suited to growing behind glass.
Can you grow Sarracenia indoors?
Yes, but only in the sunniest spot in the house. In the northern hemisphere, that usually means a south-facing windowsill with no net curtains, blinds, or nearby trees in the way. East or west-facing windows rarely provide enough direct sun, and plants grown in them tend to produce floppy, green pitchers which collapse under their own weight.
Even indoor plants still need a cold winter. Once the pitchers start to brown in autumn, move your plant somewhere cold but bright for the winter (see winter dormancy below), then bring it back to its windowsill in spring. Avoid bathrooms and other humid, shady spots: Sarracenia don’t need high humidity, and stagnant air encourages mould.
Are Sarracenia hardy in the UK?
Most Sarracenia are hardy across much of the UK, and established plants shrug off frost while they’re dormant. Sarracenia purpurea is the toughest, followed by S. flava, S. oreophila, and the many hybrids involving them. Species from further south, such as S. psittacina and S. minor, appreciate more protection.
Plants in the ground or in a large bog garden are better insulated than those in pots. A small pot can freeze solid during a long cold snap, so group pots together against a sheltered wall, or move them into a cold frame or unheated greenhouse during prolonged hard frosts. Shelter from strong winds is also worthwhile for the tall trumpet species, which can be flattened in summer storms.
4. Soil & water for pitcher plants
Like many other carnivorous plants, Sarracenia require rainwater, distilled water, or deionised water, and lots of it! This is because they grow in low-nutrient waterlogged soil, and evolved to draw minerals from prey instead. As such, you must avoid tap water, bottled water and filtered water - all will result in a build-up of minerals and cause your plant’s health to deteriorate. You should not use fertiliser for similar reasons. I’ve outlined your options for obtaining water in more detail here.
During the growing season, you should stand your plants’ pots in about 2cm of water (just under an inch) and avoid watering from the top. During winter, the soil should be kept just damp, rather than wet.
How often should you water Sarracenia?
With the tray method, you don’t water on a schedule - you simply top the tray up before it runs dry. In spring that might be once a week; in a summer heatwave, a greenhouse full of Sarracenia can empty its trays every day. Never let the compost dry out during the growing season. Through winter, empty the tray and water just enough to keep the compost damp.
Compost and pots
The traditional compost mixture for Sarracenia is sphagnum peat moss mixed with either lime-free horticultural sand or perlite, to a ratio of about 2:1. UK readers can buy bags of ready-made Sarracenia compost from Hampshire Carnivorous Plants. In the US, California Carnivores offers an excellent ready-made soil mix. Alternatively, you can buy this compost mix on Amazon worldwide.
Never use multipurpose compost, garden soil, or anything containing added fertiliser or lime. Plastic or glazed pots are best; unglazed terracotta can leach minerals into the compost. Sarracenia have long roots, so choose a deep pot, and move larger plants up a size every couple of years as the rhizome fills it.
5. Winter dormancy & division
All North American pitcher plants require a cold winter dormancy between November and February. Temperatures in their natural habitats regularly dip below freezing over winter (0°C / 32°F), and so you must provide a cold season for plants in cultivation.
If you keep your plants indoors during the growing season, you will need to move them somewhere colder - sit them next to a window in your shed or garage, for example. Plants growing in an unheated greenhouse can remain there over winter. For year-round outdoor growing (i.e. exposure to the elements), species occurring further north - Sarracenia purpurea, Sarracenia flava and their hybrids - are generally the hardiest in UK weather.
As the days shorten and the temperature drops, pitchers will turn brown and your plant will start to die back. This is normal, and you can safely trim off any brown growth. Some Sarracenia will also produce flat, non-carnivorous leaves called phyllodia during autumn; these will often last throughout winter.
Aim for somewhere between about 0°C and 10°C (32-50°F) for three to four months. Your plants still need light while dormant, so a bright spot is better than a dark one. Reduce watering so the compost is just damp, and don’t feed them. Snipping off dead pitchers as they brown helps prevent grey mould, which is the main risk during a cool, damp winter. You can read more about winter dormancy here.
Dividing and repotting
The end of the winter dormancy period is a good opportunity to repot and divide your plants, if they require it. Sarracenia grow from a rhizome, which is a thick underground stem that sprouts roots and leaves. Large adult plants will often have multiple growth points on their rhizome, and by snapping the rhizome and potting the pieces separately, you can propagate multiple (genetically identical) plants! Check out this guide by Phil Wilson for some helpful photos and a detailed tutorial.
Late February to early March is ideal, just before new growth begins. Make sure each division has at least one growth point and some healthy roots.
6. What to feed Pitcher Plants
Kept outside, Sarracenia will catch more than enough food for themselves. The taller trumpet species such as Sarracenia flava and Sarracenia leucophylla are particularly ruthless, and often fill to the brim with flies, wasps, ants, and moths by the end of the growing season.
If you keep your plants indoors, you can hand feed them with dried insects every few weeks. The foods I’ve recommended for Venus flytraps are all suitable, but dried crickets are particularly good.
Drop food into fully opened pitchers only, and don’t overdo it - a couple of insects per pitcher is plenty. Never feed meat, cheese, or other human food, which will rot inside the pitcher. Stop feeding entirely once the plant goes dormant.
7. Pests & problems
Sarracenia are tough plants, and most problems come down to the basics: not enough sun, the wrong water, or no winter rest.
Why is my Sarracenia going brown?
Some browning is completely normal. Each pitcher only lasts a season, so older pitchers brown and die back as the year goes on, and the whole plant browns off in autumn as it goes dormant. Pitchers which have caught a lot of prey also often brown from the top down.
Browning across a whole plant during the growing season usually points to tap water, fertiliser, compost drying out, or a lack of direct sun. I’ve written a detailed guide to why pitcher plants turn brown which covers each of these.
Common pests
- Aphids cluster on new growth and flower buds in spring, and can cause new pitchers to emerge twisted or deformed. They often hide inside pitchers which haven’t opened yet.
- Mealybugs and scale insects hide at the base of the leaves and along the rhizome, especially in greenhouses.
- Thrips leave pitchers twisted and scarred.
- Pitcher plant moths can be a problem for plants grown outdoors in the US. Their caterpillars feed inside the pitchers, often causing them to collapse.
Catch an infestation early and you can often deal with it by hand. If you need an insecticide, check that it’s suitable for ornamental plants, follow the label, and try it on a single pitcher first.
Grey mould
Grey mould (Botrytis) is the most common disease, and usually appears during winter when plants are cool, damp, and surrounded by dead leaves. Keep on top of trimming dead growth, avoid wet compost during dormancy, and give your plants some ventilation.
8. Sarracenia flowers & seeds
Mature Sarracenia flower in spring, often before their first pitchers have fully opened - this is thought to help keep pollinating bees out of the traps. Each flower nods from the top of a tall stalk, and depending on the species can be maroon, red, yellow, or pink.
Unlike Venus flytraps, healthy Sarracenia usually aren’t held back much by flowering, so most growers leave the flowers to enjoy them. If you’d prefer to put all your plant’s energy into pitchers, you can snip the stalk off at the base.
Growing Sarracenia from seed
If flowers are pollinated, seed pods ripen in autumn. Seeds need a period of cold, moist stratification before they’ll germinate: sow them on the surface of damp peat in spring after keeping them in the fridge for four to eight weeks, then keep them wet and bright. Seedlings take several years to reach maturity.
Seed collected from hybrids, or from open-pollinated plants, will produce a range of new and genetically unique plants - half the fun! Always buy seed from a reputable specialist nursery.
In the UK, Hampshire Carnivorous Plants sells carnivorous plant seed, including Sarracenia.
California Carnivores sells a wide variety of carnivorous plant seed packs, and you can get a 10% discount off your order by using the code tomscarnivores.
9. Where to buy Pitcher Plants
You can buy Trumpet pitcher plants from Hampshire Carnivorous Plants in the UK. They also sell compost, seeds, and plant collections including great companion plants like Sundews and Venus flytraps. Delivery is available throughout the UK.
If you’re in the US, I wholeheartedly recommend California Carnivores. They have a wide range of pitcher plants available for delivery throughout the United States, as well as ideal companions like Venus Flytraps and Sundews.
You can also get 10% off your order with the code tomscarnivores.
Plants bought from specialist carnivorous plant nurseries will typically be much stronger and more robust than those from hardware / DIY stores. You’ll also get much better advice on successful growing, and you’ll be supporting a small business!
Sarracenia FAQs
Are Sarracenia easy to grow?
Yes, provided you get three things right: full sun, pure water, and a cold winter. Get those right and Sarracenia are some of the most forgiving carnivorous plants there are.
Do Sarracenia need to sit in water?
Through spring and summer, yes - stand the pot in about 2 cm (1 inch) of rainwater or distilled water. In winter, take them out of the tray and keep the compost just damp.
Do Sarracenia attract flies?
They lure insects that are already nearby with nectar, scent, and bright colours, and they’re very good at catching flies, wasps, and moths. They won’t draw swarms of flies into your home, though!
Is Sarracenia purpurea rare?
No. It’s the most widespread species, found from the Gulf Coast to Canada, and it’s widely grown in cultivation. Some local wild populations are protected, and Sarracenia oreophila is genuinely rare.
What’s the difference between Sarracenia and Nepenthes?
Both are called pitcher plants, but they’re unrelated. Sarracenia are temperate plants from North America which need full sun and a cold winter. Nepenthes are tropical climbers from Southeast Asia, with pitchers hanging from tendrils, and they need warmth all year round. See my guide to tropical pitcher plants to grow those.
How long do Sarracenia live?
They’re long-lived perennials. Given a proper dormancy each year, a healthy plant will keep growing for many years, and dividing the rhizome lets you keep it going indefinitely.
Still want to learn more?
Buy The Savage Garden, by Peter D’Amato. In my opinion, this is the single best book on carnivorous plants you can buy today. Its chapters on Sarracenia are brilliantly detailed and great for beginners. Available on Amazon.