Sarracenia Care
Get the straight facts from guys who grow and propagate thousands of carnivorous plants every year.
Sarracenia, the American pitcher plants, are native to the US Gulf Coast states and all along the East Coast, from Eastern Texas through to Florida, and north through the New England states and the Southern provinces of Canada. There is even one natural population in extreme east British Columbia! These plants get their name from their pitcher-shaped leaves. They capture insects by producing nectar along the rim of their pitchers. When an insect starts to lick up the nectar, it tries to get more by reaching in the pitcher. When it loses its footing, it falls right in!
The inside walls of the pitcher are very smooth, so insects are not able to crawl out. They also can't fly out because there isn't any airlift in a tube! Eventually the insect dies, and as it decomposes, the plant absorbs its nutrients right through its leaves. Mmm....
Where to Grow
Sarracenia grow best outdoors as a container or potted plant on a sunny deck or patio. You may also grow them in a pond or fountain, but keep their crowns above water. Because of their specific soil requirements, avoid planting them directly into the ground.
Sunlight
During the growing season, grow your Sarracenia outside in full sun with 6 or more hours of direct sunlight, for vigorous growth. If full sun is not possible, provide a minimum of 4 hours of direct sunlight with bright indirect light during the rest of the day. Such a plant won’t be as vibrantly colored as one grown in full sun, but they can still grow more/less healthily.
Heat Tolerance
Sarracenia tolerate the summer heat well. They originate from an area where temperatures above 90°F (32°C) commonly occur in summer.
On occasion, our relative humidity drops as low as 12%.
Water
Sarracenia require mineral-free water. If your tap water is relatively pure (less than 50 parts per million in dissolved minerals), then you can safely water your Sarracenia with it. Otherwise, use bottled distilled water. Keep the soil wet at all times. You can do this by setting the plant in small amounts of standing water, no more than halfway up the pot.
Soil
Use a soil mixture of 1 part peat moss and 1 part perlite. Never use potting soil, compost or fertilizer; these ingredients will kill your plants.
Winter Care
Your plant will stop growing in early fall, and some pitchers will turn brown and flop over. These are signs that your plant will soon be dormant, a similar process when a rose bush goes dormant and drops its leaves in fall. While dormant, your Sarracenia can withstand episodes of overnight frosts down to 20°F. If daytime temperatures are projected to rise above freezing, you don't need to protect it from these overnight frosts. However, protection is required during prolonged freezes to prevent dehydration or freeze drying, regardless of USDA zone. Covering your plant with a tarp or black plastic sheet will be sufficient if the freeze is expected to last for a week or less, which is typical for USDA zones 7 and 8. Otherwise, mulch may be required if you live in a region where freezing temperature is a way of life, such as in USDA zones 6 and colder.
It is not at all unusual for these plants to experience snow and ice.
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