Sarracenia (American Pitcher Plant)

Sarracenia, also known as the American pitcher plant or trumpet pitcher plants is a genus comprising of around 11 species found in North America. 

The plant attracts insects (especially flies!) with secretions from extrafloral nectaries on the lip of the pitcher leaves, as well as a combination of the leaves' color and scent. Slippery footing at the pitcher's rim causes insects to fall inside, where they die and are digested by the plant. 

Generalised Growing Care for Sarracenia (Growing requirements very similar to Venus Fly Traps)

Sunlight: Direct sunlight is best. Sarracenia show their best colour and size when grown in full sun. It is recommended that at least 8 hours of sunlight is needed for the plants to produce strong pitchers.

Temperature:  Sarracenia are quite tolerant of a variety of temperatures. During summer, temperatures up to 35 degrees are fine as long as the plant remains wet. During winter, Sarracenia will go dormant and can tolerate temperatures under 5 degrees with some species even surviving below freezing. 

Watering: Sarracenia like to be wet as they grow naturally in bogs. I use the tray method to water all my Sarracenia. The tray is refilled with water as soon as the tray dries out. During the growing seasons (spring, summer and autumn), I fill the tray with water halfway up their pots. During winter, this can dialed back but they still need to be kept somewhat damp.

Humidity: Sarracenia do best with a humidity between 50% and 70% but do not require consistent humidity like other carnivorous plants. 

Media: I grow all my Sarracenia in a 1:1 ratio of peat moss and perlite. Other mixes are also fine.

Dormancy: It is much debated whether dormancy is absolutely necessary. Personally, I like to grow my carnivorous plants as close as possible to what conditions that would naturally experience in the wild. Therefore, I allow my Sarracenia to experience dormancy during winter, something that happens naturally as the temperatures cool and the photoperiod shortens. Sarracenia can completely die back to its rhizome during this time and will reshoot when spring occurs. Some Sarracenia species may also produce phyllodia, which are non carnivorous leaves that help the plant photosynthesis better when there is less sunlight (if your plant produces these leaves during the growing season, its generally a sign its lacking in sunlight).