Sarracenia Hybrid – Purpurea Type

Sarracenia Hybrid – Purpurea Type

A striking compact North American pitcher plant producing richly coloured red pitchers and beautifully textured, deep crimson hoods.

This attractive Sarracenia shows strong characteristics associated with Sarracenia purpurea, the Purple Pitcher Plant, with relatively broad, robust pitchers that develop exceptional red to crimson colouration when grown in strong light.

Unlike many of the taller green Sarracenia, this plant has a more compact growth habit, producing a cluster of substantial pitchers close to the rhizome. The pitchers can develop shades ranging from warm red and scarlet through to deep burgundy as they mature.

One of its most distinctive features is the broad, richly coloured hood, where fine contrasting markings create an almost textured appearance. The interior becomes particularly intense in colour, producing a dramatic deep-red entrance to the pitcher.

As with other Sarracenia, these colourful leaves are highly specialised insect traps. Insects are attracted by nectar and colour around the pitcher opening, eventually entering the trap where the plant can obtain nutrients from captured prey.

Growing Information

Light: Full sun or extremely bright direct light. Strong sunlight encourages compact growth and develops the plant's best red colouration.

Water: Keep permanently moist during active growth. Stand the pot in approximately 1–3cm of rainwater, distilled water or reverse-osmosis water. Avoid hard tap water.

Compost: Grow in nutrient-poor carnivorous plant compost. Never use ordinary multipurpose compost or conventional fertiliser.

Dormancy: Sarracenia are temperate carnivorous plants and require a winter dormancy. Growth slows considerably during winter before fresh pitchers emerge during the following growing season.

Hardiness: Purpurea-influenced Sarracenia can be particularly tolerant of cool conditions. This plant is suitable for an unheated greenhouse or sunny outdoor growing position, although container-grown plants should still be protected from prolonged severe freezing.

Plant Supplied

You will receive an established plant of the type shown. As these are living plants, individual size, pitcher number, shape and colouration will naturally vary according to season and stage of growth.

The intense red colouration is encouraged by strong sunlight, so plants may appear greener at some points in the season or after spending time under lower-light conditions.

Please note: This plant is offered as a Sarracenia purpurea-type hybrid based on its visible characteristics. Without original provenance, no specific cultivar or exact parentage is being claimed.

Botanical name: Sarracenia hybrid
Type: Sarracenia purpurea-type
Common name: North American Pitcher Plant
Plant type: Temperate carnivorous perennial
Growth habit: Compact / spreading
Dormancy: Winter
Difficulty: Easy
Water: Rainwater / RO / distilled
Position: Full sun