Pot Size: 3.5"
Accepted Scientific Name: Sarracenia purpurea subsp. venosa
Origin and Habitat:
This southern purple pitcher plant is endemic to the acidic, nutrient‑poor bogs, pine lands, and wet savannas of the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain, stretching from the New Jersey Pine Barrens down through the Carolinas to Georgia and westward into the Florida Panhandle and southeastern Louisiana. Plants grow in open, sunny niches where the water table lies at or near the surface year‑round; the substrate is typically a permanently saturated mix of sphagnum peat and decomposed organic matter overlain by shallow seasonal pools. Frequent lightning‑ignited fires and winter frost heaves keep competing vegetation low, preserving the open, sunny conditions essential for this cold‑hardy carnivore.
Description:
Compact rosettes 8–12 in wide form squat, jug‑shaped pitchers 4–8 in tall with flared hoods, richly veined in green, burgundy, and bronze. Each spring a single, nodding, 1.5–2 in across flower rises 8–12 in on a sturdy stalk; the blossom bears five rounded petals in deep maroon‑red, releasing a sweet fragrance that attracts early pollinators.
Cultivation:
Zone: USDA 6–9.
Temperature: Tolerates –10 °C winter freezes to 35 °C midsummer heat when roots stay wet.
Growth rate: Moderate; offsets enlarge clumps within two seasons.
Soil: 2 parts peat moss : 1 part pumice; no lime or fertilizers in the mix.
Watering: Keep pitchers standing in 1 in of rainwater or distilled water year‑round; never allow to dry.
Fertilizing: No Fertilizer.
Light: Full sun (6–8 h daily) for best color and stout pitchers; tolerates very bright partial sun in hottest climates.
Pests and Diseases: Watch for aphids, mealybugs, and scale on new pitchers; crown rot and Botrytis can appear in stagnant, cool, shaded conditions.
Propagation:
Cold‑stratified seed sown on moist peat‑pumice germinates in 4–8 weeks; division of mature rhizomes is best done in early spring just before active growth begins.
