Pitcher plants should nourish itself by feeding on insects and even slugs! The top of the pitcher is smooth and the insect is attracted to the rim and slips inside.
Keep the sphagnum moss wet at all times with rain water, do not allow it to dry in any way
Pitcher plant spreads by underground rhizomes, and the easiest way to start a new plant is to divide a mature plant in the spring as it starts into new growth
Grow in moss or peat, don’t use a potting medium as the plant must not have fertile soil. It has adapted to extract nutrients from the insects that it traps in the pitchers. So do not add plant fertilzer to its water and always use rain water to water it. A large open glass vase is a useful ‘plant pot’ as it contains the water the plant needs in its boggy conditions and allows light in to the plant whilst supporting the pitchers that tend to flop in all directions
Place a layer of washed gravel on the base of the vase and then add sphagnum moss around the rhizomes. The ‘hooters’ are supported by the sides of the glass vase
Pitcher plant will produce seeds but it is easier and quicker to flower to divide a a mature plant
These estimates for how long Purple Pitcherplant takes to sprout, grow and harvest are from real observations from real gardeners, right around the world.
Average days | Min days | Max days (0)
Average days | Min days | Max days (0)
Average days | Min days | Max days (0)
Pitcher Plant, Trumpet Pitcher
Sarracenia purpurea L.