North American pitcher plants (Sarracenia)

Tall, colourful trumpet pitchers for a sunny spot outdoors — tough, fast-growing, and they need a cold winter rest.

Difficulty IntermediateLight Full sunDormancy Cool winter restCatches TONS of flies and wasps
From the bogs

How sweet nectar gets insects drunk before they fall in

Towering, trumpet-shaped traps that draw insects in with a sweet scent and nectar spread over the rim and the underside of the lid. The nectar carries a mild narcotic, causing insects to grow clumsy, lose their footing on the waxy lip, and fall in, where downward-pointing hairs stop them climbing back out. A single pitcher can catch thousands of insects! Throughout the growing season the plants send up tall stalks of large, beautiful, showy flowers.

Read the Sarracenia care guide →
The lure: Beads of sweet nectar under the lid, laced with a mild narcotic that leaves insects unsteady.
The lureBeads of sweet nectar under the lid, laced with a mild narcotic that leaves insects unsteady.
No way out: Downward-pointing hairs funnel insects into the pitcher and stop them climbing back out.
No way outDownward-pointing hairs funnel insects into the pitcher and stop them climbing back out.
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Which North American pitcher plants should you start with?

Sarracenia purpurea ssp. venosa Sarracenia purpurea ssp. venosa Sarracenia 'Velvet' Sarracenia 'Velvet' Sarracenia alata (Pale Pitcher Plant) Sarracenia alata (Pale Pitcher Plant) Sarracenia 'Flies Demise' Sarracenia 'Flies Demise'

Common questions

Do Sarracenia need a winter dormancy?
Yes, and it isn't optional. They need a real cold rest, ideally outdoors or in an unheated shed or garage, for three to five months. Skipping dormancy is the single most common way people lose these plants.
Can I grow Sarracenia indoors?
Not well, year-round. They want six or more hours of direct sun and a genuine winter chill most homes don't get. They're happiest outdoors from spring through fall, then dormant in a cold, sheltered spot for winter.
Are the pitchers alive year-round?
Each pitcher lives for one growing season, catching insects the whole time, then browns off before or during dormancy. New pitchers push up from the crown every spring.
How do they ship in a Canadian winter?
Bare-root, wrapped in damp paper towel, in an insulated box. Sarracenia tolerate cold transit better than tropical species, but we still recommend a heat pack when temperatures are near 0°C.

Growing North American pitcher plants (Sarracenia)

Read the full care guide →

Light

Full sun: six or more hours of direct light outdoors. Intense light builds tall, upright, fully coloured pitchers.

Water

Rainwater, distilled or RO water. Stand the pot in a tray filled 1/4 to 1/2 of the way up the pot, easing off as the season cools. Keep a couple of centimetres of water through dormancy.

Dormancy

A true winter rest, roughly October through February. Pitchers brown and die back — that's normal, not a problem. Skip it several years running and plants weaken.