Sarracenia | Alata

North American Pitcher Plant:

The genus Sarracenia contains 8 species. Sarracenia species cross-pollinate readily and the hybrid offspring is also fertile. This has resulted in a plethora of natural and man-made hybrids.

All Sarracenia species and hybrids can be overwintered outdoors in the zone 8 areas of the Pacific northwest, provided that they are planted in bogs or large containers. These plants grow best in a sunny location. The media should always be damp.

North American pitcher plants are temperate plants and in Calgary the winters get too cold for us to leave the pitchers out all year round. If your plant starts to die back and you are panicking don’t worry! It’s a sign that the plant is starting to go dormant. Younger plants won’t need this off the start however if they don’t get this rest after a few years they will die completely. 

Watch this video from one of the og carnivorous plant growers on how to do a fridge dormancy.

Water:   It is very important to use distilled or rain water on carnivorous plants. In a pinch you can use tap water that has been out for several hours to naturally dissipate. Sometimes putting a small amount of water in the traps helps to keep the pitchers from drying out.

Light: Some pitcher plants like hardy vs tropical will have slightly different light conditions. These ones require full sun. Grows well under grow lights or south facing window.

Feeding: Indoors they will need to be fed around once a month. They have evolved to survive on little nutrients. Never feed them human food ro meat. Mealworms, bloodworms, crickets, flies, fish flakes, or other small insects. They can be dried and found at reptile stores.

Botanical Name: Sarracenia variety

Common Name: North American Pitcher Plants