How to Plant and Grow Pitcher Plant

Sarracenia is a genus of North American pitcher plants comprising eight to eleven species. These carnivorous plants trap and kill insects by luring them into their trumpet-shaped pitchers. The insects tumble down into the pitcher, where they are trapped. Eventually, the insects die, and their nutrients are absorbed by the plant for nourishment through special cells. 

Wetland destruction and poaching have led to a dramatic decimation of pitcher plants in their native habitats. By planting pitcher plants—only sourced from a reputable nursery and never taken from the wild—in your garden, you can help preserve these fascinating, endangered plants.

The plants grow from rhizomes and bloom for two to three weeks in the spring. They develop new pitchers, or leaves, in spring and summer.

Where to Plant Pitcher Plant

Choose a location in full sun with consistently moist, acidic soil, ideally a bog or rain garden. Meeting the moisture requirement of the plant can be challenging, that’s why many gardeners grow pitcher plants in containers.

Pair it with other moisture-loving plants that thrive in acidic soil.

How and When to Plant Pitcher Plant

Plant a pitcher plant in the spring so it has the entire growing season to get established. Dig a hole about twice the diameter of the nursery pot and about the same depth. Place the plant in the hole and fill in original soil to the top of the root ball. Gently tamp down the soil and water it well. Keep the soil evenly moist at all times.

Space plants 10 to 12 inches apart depending on the height of the variety.

Pitcher Plant Care Tips

Provided that the pitcher plant gets the consistent moisture it needs from natural sources (rainfall or boggy area), it is a low-maintenance plant.

Light

The bog garden should be in full sun to promote full leaf coloration and strong, upright growth.

Soil and Water

The plants grow best in a humusy muck that is constantly damp but doesn't have standing water. One of the biggest mistakes is to keep the plant too wet. Consider irrigation hoses and rubber pond liners to create the proper environment for pitcher plants.

Soil acidity is equally important. To make sure the soil has the required pH of 3.0 to 5.0, do a soil test before planting.

Temperature and Humidity

The hardiness varies between the species so make sure to select one that is suitable for your area. The plants do best in medium to high humidity.

To overwinter potted plants that are winter-hardy in your climate zone, bury the pot up to the rim in the garden. Choose a protected location, such as the south side of a building or in a protected corner of the landscape to shield them from freezing winds. Containers may also be brought inside in winter and kept in a cool area, such as an unheated garage or basement. When overwintering the plants indoors, keep the soil lightly moist.

Fertilizer

The plant does not need much fertilizer, as carnivorous specimens prosper when they feed on prey. At the most, use a pelleted (slow-release), high-nitrogen fertilizer once in the spring as the new growing season starts.

Pruning

In late fall, the leaves will turn brown, then the plants will die back to the ground level. Leave the dead foliage over the winter to insulate the roots from the cold and only remove it in the spring just before the flowers emerge.

Potting and Repotting Pitcher Plant

Pots make it easy to enjoy pitcher plants. Rather than building a bog in your yard, a container can become a bog with a few simple steps. Fill an 8-inch plastic container—plastic is best because it will retain moisture well—with half peat and half perlite or vermiculite. Do not use potting soil and fertilizer for pitcher plants, both have the potential to kill pitcher plants. Place the container in a spot that receives at least six hours of direct sunlight each day. Set the pot in a tray filled with water. The constant moisture will keep the peat and perlite mixture wet, creating a bog-like environment.

Once the roots fill the pot, repot the pitcher plant to a larger container filled with fresh potting medium or divide it.

Pests and Problems

Sarracenia are generally resistant to serious pests and diseases. The plant attracts aphids, especially in early spring and fall. You might also find scale insects and mealybugs on the plants, especially under the trap folds. Wash them off with a strong spray of water. If you find moth larvae, remove them manually.

Leaf spots and root rot may also occur.

How to Propagate Pitcher Plant

Pitcher plants can be propagated by dividing a mature plant. Look for a strong, healthy rhizome that is anchored into the ground with roots. Carefully dig out the rhizome without damaging its roots. Using a sharp knife or pruners, cut the rhizome into smaller sections so that each section has some roots on it. Replant the sections at the same depth as the original plant.

Planting the sections in pots is usually preferable, as it gives you better control over the soil moisture. Once they have grown into vigorous plants, they are ready to be planted in a boggy spot in the landscape.

Types of Pitcher Plant

Yellow Pitcher Plant

Sarracenia flava offers one of the largest and most spectacular blooms within the Sarracenia genus. It has upright narrow leaves adapted into pitchers with round mouths and a semi-upright open flap covering them. The nodding long-petalled flowers are chartreuse and appear in spring. It grows 12 to 32 inches tall. Zone 7-9

Green Pitcher Plant

Sarracenia oreophila is considered the most endangered species in the Sarracenia genus, known to exist only in a few mountain sites in North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama. The pitchers resemble those of the yellow pitcher plant but with a light chocolate veining. It grows 10 to 18 inches tall. Zone 7-9

Red Pitcher Plant

Native to the southeastern United States, Sarracenia rubra has flowers with long, strap-like maroon-dark red petals from April through June. The plant reaches a height of 12 to 24 inches. Zone 6-8

Pale Pitcher Plant

Also known as yellow trumpets, Sarracenia alata is native to the southeastern United States, including parts of the Gulf Coast states. Reaching 16 to 24 inches in height, it is one of the taller pitcher plants, with gold-yellow flowers in March and April. Zone 6-8

Sarracenia purpurea ‘Jersey Girl’

If you are looking for an especially hardy pitcher plant, consider this cultivar of the northern purple pitcher plant. It was cloned from a pitcher plant that originated in Ocean County, New Jersey. The pitchers are brilliant red with chartreuse veining and cherry-red umbrella-like flowers appear in April and May. Zone 3-8

Pitcher Plant Companion Plants

Marsh Marigold

Call on marsh marigold when you are faced with a boggy spot because this perennial loves moist soil. It is native to marshes, swamps, stream margins, and wet meadows in Newfoundland and Alaska south to Nebraska, Tennessee, and North Carolina. It can be in partial shade or full sun, however, the soil must never dry out. Zone 3-7

Papyrus

You might know papyrus as a plant that grows in standing water but in fact you can also plant it in wet, fertile soil, either at the edge of a water garden or someplace that stays consistently moist, Papyrus is not winter-hardy in climates with freezing temperatures but because it grows so fast, treating it as an annual and planting a new papyrus in the spring will produce a tall plant in just one season. Zone 10-11

Corkscrew Rush

The curious corkscrew rush (Juncus effusus ssp. spiralis) loves wet or boggy conditions. It makes a fascinating architectural accent in planters, beds, and moist borders. It's technically leafless, with green cylindrical stems that are pointed at the tip. Plant rush alongside streams and ponds, though it will tolerate dryer conditions elsewhere. It's excellent in container gardens. Zone 5-11