Known also as the huntsman’s horn, this is a carnivorous plant for a cool room or greenhouse. Like Darlingtonia californica, the cobra lily, the leaves are fused into a pitcher shape, with the top slightly bent over to act as a lid.
Insects falling into the liquid contained by the pitcher are unable to escape, and they are then absorbed by the plant’s juices.
The leaves are bright yellow-green, often with red veining on the lid, and in summer the plant produces yellow flowers up to 4in/10cm wide.
FACT FILE Sarracenia flava Sarraceniaceae YELLOW PITCHER PLANT
ORIGIN: USA (Virginia to Florida and Louisiana) HEIGHT To 2ft/60cm in a container.
POTTING MIX: Sphagnum peat, sand, and leaf mold in a ratio of 2:1:1.
REPOTTING: Only when the pot becomes overcrowded.
PROPAGATION: By division when repotting, or by seed in spring.
KEEPING PLANTS: Remove leaves from the base of the plant as they die off.
PLANT CARE Sarracenia flava Sarraceniaceae YELLOW PITCHER PLANT
- Bright light with some direct sun.
- Cool room temperature, with a winter minimum of 40°F/ 4°C at night and 50°F/10°C in the daytime.
- Water copiously with soft water when it is in active growth.
- Stand the pot on a dish of moist pebbles, but do not let water stagnate around the roots.
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