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Growing hardy sarracenia in your garden

Sarracenia, commonly know as North American pitcher plants, are strikingly architectural herbaceous perennials found in the Southern states of the USA

Growing in Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, North Florida, the Carolinas and into parts of Canada, they’re found in very wet peaty bogs or swamps, where they thrive. To grow these plants successfully in your garden you’ll need to recreate these conditions. An old sink or planter without drainage holes would be ideal as a container in which to grow them, or a peat bog garden, if you’re lucky enough to have one of those.

Position

Sarracenia displayed in a stone trough
Team from Hampshire Carnivorous Plants create a bog garden 

Position is very important. These plants are sun lovers and they enjoy full sun for most of the day. Avoid a windy site if you want to grow some of the taller species and hybrids.​

Compost

Remember these are bog plants so need to be kept very, very wet over the summer months.


Planting

Sarracenia can be planted in a bog garden or planter at any time of year. If you’re planting in the height of summer, make sure the plants are well hydrated or they will suffer.


Growth starts around the end of March for outdoor-grown plants. The flower spike starts to emerge from the crown and the leaves or pitchers are produced from mid to late April and remain on the plant until late autumn, when they start to die down for the winter months.


What can I grow outside?

That’s the question we’re asked more than any other. All species and hybrids will grow and survive outside but some really thrive. We’ve found Sarracenia flavaS.purpurea subsp. purpureaS.purpurea subsp.venosa and S. oreophila are the four best species. As far as hybrids go, anything with S. purpurea as a parent is good, such as S. x catesbaei, S.cv Bella, S.cv Eva, S x mitchelliana and S x courtii
 

Hampshire Carnivorous Plants 

 | 02380 473314

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