Spectacular, intriguing and rather bizarre, Sarracenia is a group of plants that defies expectation. Their bold and colourful trumpets look exotic, even alien, yet they are resoundingly earth-bound, and despite a tropical appearance, they are surprisingly hardy in temperate climates. Their carnivorous habits spark curiosity – plants that eat bugs are very much on the weird end of the spectrum – yet their beauty, good manners and sculptural qualities are hard to resist.
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The genus Sarracenia is made up of fewer than ten species of the herbaceous perennials commonly known as pitcher plants. All are indigenous to North America. Their native habitat is low-nutrient bogs, fens and seasonally wet grasslands, and they extend along the east coast from Mississippi to southeastern Canada wherever suitable environments present themselves.
The majority of species are found in warm-temperate climates such as Louisiana and South Carolina, but one species, S. purpurea, stretches well into colder areas as far north as Nova Scotia in Canada, and a climate pattern of distinct winter and summer seasons is a key part.
Sarracenias are spreading rhizomatous perennials, and the showy pitchers form either upright clumps or rosettes, depending on species. Each crown or growing point produces a single flower, which is usually scented, although not always pleasantly, and while they don’t bloom until the plant is five years old, a mature crown can display as many as 20 or 30 flowers.
How to care for a Sarracenia pitcher plant
In British horticultural circles, Sarracenia is often grown as a pot plant, and specimens should be kept in a cold greenhouse or a sheltered spot outdoors. The erect species such as S. leucophylla may reach almost 1m in height, so in areas where soil is naturally wet and acidic they can make an unusual plant for a herbaceous border, and they are ideal in a bog garden where they will provide spring and summer interest.
Plants grown outside are often healthier than those kept under glass, which may be softer and more prone to pests and diseases. Watch out for scale insect and mealy bug and if botrytis is a problem, improve ventilation as no fungicides are available. SP Plant Invigorator can be used to combat greenfly.
How do sarracenia catch insects
Sarracenias don’t require feeding as they get all the nourishment they need from insects. Moisture is essential so stand the pot in a tray of rainwater 5cm deep to keep feet wet at all times. Avoid using tap water as it may contain lime, which can raise the pH of the substrate.
Carnivorous plants typically arise in low-nutrient environments, where minerals and nitrogen are scarce. In Sarracenia, the traps or pitchers are modified leaves that form a funnel or tube, and the plants use a combination of a tempting lure, a slippery slope and hairs arranged like a lobster pot to capture their prey.
At the top of each pitcher is a hood, or operculum, which helps keep rainwater out and prevents flying insects from escaping easily. Beneath this, a rolled lip skirts the opening of the trap; this secretes a sweet, intoxicating nectar to entice potential victims to investigate.
“The main prey is scavenging insects, such as wasps and bluebottles, and also hoverflies. These land on the lid of the plant, attracted by a sugary nectar which is a bit like golden syrup – you can smell it,” says Matthew Soper of Hampshire Carnivorous Plants. “They work their way down to larger deposits, but waxy walls and downward-pointing hairs mean they slide in and can’t escape, and eventually they land in the digestive fluid at the bottom.
“The plants don’t digest the chitin that makes up the insect’s exoskeleton, and once the pitcher is full, it dies back. Interestingly, the more insects they get the more likely the plant is to flower in the following year, but if insects are scarce, they economise on the energy required for reproduction and put up more traps instead.”
When do sarracenia come out of dormancy
Plant out or pot on young plants from February, ensuring the rhizome remains on the surface of the soil. Growers traditionally use a compost that is half peat and half perlite or sharp sand. Sarracenia tend to come out of dormancy by early March as the weather gets warmer.
For a more sustainable alternative, mix farmed sphagnum moss or pine bark with horticultural grit in a 50:50 ratio. If you don’t use peat or sphagnum, you’ll need to repot the plant every two years as decomposing bark will gradually release unwelcome nutrients into the local environment.
How to propagate sarracenia
Sarracenias can be raised fairly easily from seed. In spring the flowers are pollinated by bees, and seed can be collected in autumn. Germination is improved by cold stratification, so mix the seeds with a little compost, seal in a polythene bag and keep in the fridge or outdoors exposed to frost. Sow in March or April. Dormant plants can be divided in winter by breaking the rhizome to separate the growing points, then repot into an appropriate compost.
Although they can spread to form decent clumps, pitcher plants are slow-growing and not very competitive, so don’t work well alongside large or vigorous neighbours such as Rodgersia or Equisetum. Instead, choose low-growing and well-mannered companions, such as mosses, sundews and Pinguicula species, or with plants like small heathers and gentians that will enjoy the moisture as long as drainage is also sufficient.
The species hybridise willingly and produce fertile offspring, so there are many hundreds of cultivars and selections available, showing a range of forms and colour breaks. Sarracenia flava is a tall species native to North Carolina, with a sulphur-yellow flower that shines like a beacon, while S. purpurea subsp. venosa has a dark-purple rosette of pitchers and flowers that are dark burgundy, with pink petals.
How to grow sarracenia
The best way to grow plants outdoors is to create a bog garden. Dig a shallow pond and line it to reduce drainage; fill the dip with a growing medium and add rainwater from the water butt.
How to overwinter sarracenia
Sarracenias are herbaceous perennials that put up new growth in spring and die back in late summer or early autumn. They do well in a bright, sunny location in acidic, nutrient-poor soil, and should never be allowed to dry out.
Sarracenias do best in a sunny spot. Most species can be kept in a cold greenhouse but they’re not houseplants and shouldn’t be overwintered indoors as this deprives them of their required period of dormancy.
The best Sarracenia varieties
Sarracenia ‘Judith Hindle’
Sarracenia oreophila
Sarracenia flava var. rubricorpora ‘Roy Lancaster’
Sarracenia x mitchelliana
Sarracenia ‘Juthatip Soper’
Sarracenia x excellens
Sarracenia minor var. okefenokeensis
Sarracenia ‘Leviathan’
Sarracenia x soperi
Sarracenia x moorei ‘Brooks’s Hybrid’
Sarracenia x moorei
Sarracenia ‘Lynda Butt’
Sarracenia flava
*Holds an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. †Hardiness ratings given where available
** Sarracenia are slow-growing growing and the spreads given here are those after three years. For new introductions, spreads are potential figures.
Where to see and buy Sarracenia
- Hampshire Carnivorous Plants Stroudwood Lane, Lower Upham, Southampton SO32 1HG. Tel 07703 258296, hantsflytrap.com See website for open days and shows.
- Hewitt-Cooper Carnivorous Plants hccarnivorousplants.co.uk Mail order only.
- Wacks Wicked Plants Scampston, Malton, North Yorkshire YO17 8NG. Tel 07530 176624, wackswickedplants.co.uk See website for open days.