Hooded Pitcherplant Sarracenia minor var. minor

The Hooded Pitcherplant is a stemless, deciduous, herbaceous perennial, carnivorous wildflower found in wet savannas. This plant is a cultivar of Sarracenia minor, is heat tolerant, but sensitive to drought. This plant is clump forming and requires cold weather in the winter to go dormant. This is the only Sarracenia minor listed in the plant trade, and is considered a North Carolina Endangered Species. Also, as its cultivar names implies, it is smaller that most pitcherplants at 11 inches high. These plants grow in swampy areas with poor soils and have adapted by becoming able to digest small bugs. The plant has specialized carnivorous leaves that form into a narrow hollow cone to serve as a trap for insects. The insects are attracted to the nectar of the plant and then crawl into the pitcher where they become trapped and die. The  translucent white patches on the side of the leaves allows light to enter that is thought to attract flying insects further into the pitcher and away from the pitcher's mouth.  The decayed insect's nutrients are then absorbed by the plant as food. The plants spread mostly by rhizomes.

It is endangered due to loss of habitat. An estimated 97.5% of Pitcher Plant habitats have been destroyed in the southeastern United States. They have been threatened in the wild by ongoing development; however, cultivated varieties are available. The Hooded Pitcher Plant is an endangered species. Never harvest these plants from the wild. They are best purchased from a reputable carnivorous plant nursery. The genus's name, Sarracenia, honors Dr. Michael Sarrazan of Quebec. In the 1700s, he sent the first pitcher plant to Europe. The species name means smaller or lesser.

These plants require specific growing conditions, but can be grown at home in a carefully prepared bog garden composed of an acidic, humusy muck that is constantly damp to wet in full sun. The plant's crown should not be below the waterline. They could also be grown in a container, but do not use potting soil or fertilizer.  Canadian peat or 50/50 mixes of peat/sand or peat/perlite are good choices. The old leaves will die down in winter. If grown in part shade, leaf coloring does not develop as it should and pitchers droop. Soils must never dry out. Potting soil and fertilizers can kill the plant and it is sensitive to dissolved salts in chlorinated water. Rainwater or distilled water may be used in place of tap water for container plants. The plants should not be manually fed or given food scraps. The plant cannot digest fats, and fertilizers can burn the plant. The pitcher plant goes dormant in the fall and dormancy continues until spring. The leaves will turn brown, but it is best to wait and remove the foliage in the spring just before the flowers emerge.

It is the host plant for larvae of the Pitcher Plant Mining Moth (Exyra semicrocea).

Seasons of Interest:

Bloom:  Spring      Foliage:  Spring and Summer

Quick ID Hints:

• clump-forming, growing in rosettes, found in swamps or bogs
• specialized carnivorous leaf in the form of a hollow cone with a lid or hood
• flowers are upside-down umbrellas on tall stalks
• seed pod that turns brown at maturity and releases seeds

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: The plants will do poorly if their specific growing conditions are not met. The biggest mistake is to keep the plant too wet. They must be protected from freezing winds. Monitor for aphids, scale, mealybugs, moth larvae, leaf spots, and root rot.

 VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee.

More information on Sarracenia minor.