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Yellow Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia flava)

Sarracenia flava is a stemless, rhizomatous, terrestrial carnivorous perennial herb.

LightFull sun is preferred during the growing season, although cultivation in conditions from sun to partial sun is also reported.
WaterKeep the medium continuously moist, and tray (bottom) watering can be used to maintain moisture, although NC State advises against an excessively waterlogged growing medium. For potted plants, rainwater or distilled wate
HumidityIt is reported to need good airflow.
TemperatureSources differ, with few sources indicating a minimum temperature of about -10 °C. It is generally associated with hardiness zone conditions as reported by the source and requires cold winter dormancy.
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Overview

Sarracenia flava is a stemless, rhizomatous, terrestrial carnivorous perennial herb.

Origin and habitat

Sources differ on its native range; it is native to the southeastern United States, with its core distribution including southeastern Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and southeastern Alabama, and with isolated inland populations in North Carolina. It grows in wet pine savannas, wet prairies, seepage bogs, pocosin wetlands, and other bog environments, on sandy or peaty soils that are typically wet, acidic, and low in nitrogen. It is adapted to sunny wetland environments of southeastern North America and has a winter dormancy cycle.

Characteristics

Sources differ, with few sources indicating a mature height of about 40–130 cm. The main leaves are reported to form upright tubular pitchers that are narrower below and widen toward the opening, with a lid that can reduce rain entry; coloration is highly variable and may be yellow-green, green, red-veined, or dark red, while flattened, sword-shaped, non-carnivorous leaves may form from late summer into autumn. Sources differ in their descriptions of the large, nodding flowers, which are mainly yellow, with strap-shaped to nearly obovate petals and an umbrella-shaped pistil; some sources also report a strong odor. Flowering occurs in spring, and the nearly spherical capsule is reported to mature later and contain many seeds.

Light

Full sun is preferred during the growing season, although cultivation in conditions from sun to partial sun is also reported.

Watering

Keep the medium continuously moist, and tray (bottom) watering can be used to maintain moisture, although NC State advises against an excessively waterlogged growing medium. For potted plants, rainwater or distilled water is preferred over tap water with more dissolved salts, while another source generally specifies pure water only (rain, RO or distilled).

Humidity and airflow

It is reported to need good airflow.

Temperature and dormancy

Sources differ, with few sources indicating a minimum temperature of about -10 °C. It is generally associated with hardiness zone conditions as reported by the source and requires cold winter dormancy.

Growing medium and mounting

Use an acidic medium that is low in nitrogen and nutrients and retains moisture; sources recommend peat or sphagnum moss with coarse sand, perlite, or vermiculite, as well as sphagnum moss alone and mixtures containing peat.

Feeding

Fertilizer is generally not used because it may harm the plant, and there is no need to feed it insects or food scraps artificially.

Propagation

It can be propagated by rhizome division or seed, with division being the more direct method; seed-grown plants take several years before first flowering.

Common problems

Aphids and mites are reported as possible pests, with aphids more likely under poor airflow and mites more likely in hot, dry conditions. Viral disease is reported to cause symptoms including distorted new leaves that fail to develop their normal form. Dry medium, excessive fertilizer, water containing more dissolved salts, and lack of cold winter dormancy are unfavorable, and indoor conditions are also unsuitable when they cannot provide enough sunlight and winter dormancy conditions. It needs continuously moist conditions and can tolerate some winter cold while requiring cold dormancy, but sources disagree on its minimum cold tolerance.

Identification

It is reported to have tall, upright tubular pitchers with broad lids and nectar-secreting lips at the openings; the leaves are often yellow-green and may have red veins. It is reported to attract insects with nectar and color, after which waxy slippery surfaces, downward- or inward-pointing hairs, and digestive fluid make escape difficult.

Photos

Sarracenia flava
📷 Mx. Granger · CC0 · source
Sarracenia flava
📷 Alpha Wolf, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Alpha · CC BY · source

Sources