Sweet Pitcher Plant Sarracenia rubra

Sweet Pitcher Plant is a carnivorous, deciduous, herbaceous perennial, carnivorous plant native to the Southeastern United States. These plants grow in swampy areas with infertile, acidic mucky soils and have adapted by becoming able to digest small bugs. It grows quickly and forms clumps of 12 to 24 inch tall pitcher shaped 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. Downward facing hairs prevent their escape. They become trapped and die. The decayed insect's nutrients are then absorbed by the plant as food. The plants are generally green to copper colored with red veining and a hood over the top to help prevent rain from getting inside. The pitchers produced in spring tend to be smaller and floppier than the ones produced in summer. The flowers have long strap-like red petals and are produced from April through June. The plants spread mostly by rhizomes.

Pitcher plants are endangered in some areas 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. 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 epithet means "red."

All of the plants of this species in North Carolina are Sarracenia rubra ssp. rubra; other subspecies exist outside of NC. 

These plants require specific growing conditions but can be grown at home in a carefully prepared bog garden composed of an acidic, humus-rich 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. Most reproduction comes from budding along the rhizome and the easiest propagation is by rhizome division. Plants can be grown from seed, but will not flower for the first 4 or 5 years.

Sweet Pitcher Plant is a 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.