Although they aren’t going to replace bug zappers any time soon, carnivorous pitcher plants are legendary for their insect luring ways.
Native to both the Canadian Arctic and Florida, you can find pitcher plants (Sarracenia) just about anywhere. Known for trapping insects with their nectar-secreting pitchers, these perennials don’t actually rely on bugs for nutrition. They grow best in a sandy/peat based mixture with an inch or so of water over their roots. If your pond water is slightly acidic, all the better for these colorful carnivores.
You can find many varieties of pitcher plants. Make sure you buy a species that is hardy to your zone. That shouldn’t be a problem. The Yellow Trumpet Pitcher Plant(Sarracenia flava) can handle temperatures down to minus 20 degrees below zero, while the Purple Pitcher Plant(Saracenia purpurea) will come back in the spring even after a winter of minus 40 below. The hardiest of all the pitcher plants actually starts out with a green color in the spring and turns reddish-purple by the fall.
One of the tallest of the pitchers is the Sarracenia x catesbaei which reaches up to 15 inches, and is hardy to minus 20. You might find it growing wild in ponds near the coast of Virginia and the Carolinas.
These carnivorous plants can handle a lot of harsh conditions, but what they can’t handle is shade. Direct sunlight is what these bog lovers need. As long as you can give them lots of water and lots of sun, they will perform well for you.
You can’t find these unusual carnivorous plants just anywhere. Some pond stores carry them and there are entire web sites devoted to those folks who collect them. They travel well, so don’t hesitate to buy on line. The smaller the plant the better, because it is usually less expensive and they grow fast. Pitcher plants don’t usually do well indoors. But if you find one that you just have to have and it's not hardy where you live, you can try to grow one indoors as long as you place a saucer filled with water underneath the pot., except during the winter months when you simply need to keep the soil moist and well ventilated.
You will notice cup-shaped flowers in the spring, but that’s not the real attraction. What’s most fascinating is the hooded pitcher with its sticky nectar ready to prey on a helpless insect. And what water garden doesn’t have a creepy crawler or two lurking around? After all, the fish and frogs can’t eat them all.
As tempting as it is, don’t feed them bugs or any kind of meat. They really don’t need it. Although it wouldn’t hurt if pitcher plants rid the world of a few more mosquitoes.
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