Yellow pitcher plant

A carnivore shaped like a trumpet

The yellow pitcher plant is one of the most imposing carnivorous plants of North America. Its modified leaves form upright, slender pitchers up to a metre tall, like long trumpets or ewers of a bright yellow-green, often veined with red. At the top, a rounded hood shelters the opening from rain. It should not be confused with the Asian Nepenthes: the sarracenias are the 'pitcher plants' of the New World, with traps that rise straight from the ground.

Habitat and distribution

It grows wild in the bogs and wet coastal plains of the south-eastern United States, from Alabama to Florida, Georgia and up to the Carolinas and Virginia. It lives on acidic, nutrient-poor soils, where catching insects makes up for the lack of nitrogen.

How the trap works

The rim of the pitcher produces a sugary nectar that attracts insects; the nectar, however, also contains narcotic substances that stupefy the prey. Once at the opening, the insect slips inside along waxy walls and is blocked by downward-pointing hairs that stop it climbing back out. At the bottom, enzymes and bacteria digest the prey.

Cultivation

It is much prized by carnivorous-plant growers for its sculptural beauty. It needs full sun, an acidic peat substrate kept always moist, mineral-free water (tray method) and a cold winter rest, during which the aerial part dies back and the plant rests in its rhizome. In spring, before the new pitchers, it produces large nodding yellow flowers.

Conservation

The IUCN lists the species as Least Concern, but many native bogs have been destroyed or drained. Plants for sale come from cultivation; protecting wetland habitats remains important.