common pitcher plant
Sarracenia purpurea
RHS AGM 2015
USDA zones3 to 9
SunHandles full sun to partial sun
WaterHandles moderate to wet soil
Size12 inches tall12 to 24 inches wide
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Habit
- Herb
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn, winter
- Bloom color
- Red , purple
- Foliage color
- Gold/yellow, green, purple/lavender, variegated
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay
- Soil pH
- Acid
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Common pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpurea) is a perennial for containers, specimens, accents, and rain gardens. It is hardy to USDA zone 3, or down to -40°F (-40°C). This plant likes full or part sun and average to wet, sandy, loamy, or clay soil. It is a carnivorous plant with hollow, curved leaves that collect water and trap insects. A single purplish-red flower rises above the leaves on a leafless stalk.
Pairs well with Royal fern, Sensitive fern, and Great blue lobelia.
Native range
North America.