The cloaked villain of the Sarracenia family, the lid of the Sarracenia minor pitcher forms a domed canopy over the mouth, giving pitchers a 'shifty appearance'. To the rear of the pitcher 'head' are numerous white spots, which are actually light-windows thought to help attract prey. Pitchers are shorter than other varieties, typically reaching only 30cm in height.
Sarracenias are perennial plants that should be grown in full sun in nutrient-poor, acidic compost such as a specialist peat-free sarracenia compost. Water from beneath by standing the pot in a tray of rainwater. There's no need to feed with conventional plant food – instead place dead or alive insects in the pitchers, which the plants will feed from.
In winter allow to die down and remove any browning foliage. Keep compost damp but don't stand in too much water. Reduce heat but don’t allow the plant to get too warm.
Plant calendar
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Sow
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Plant
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Flowers
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Sarracenia and wildlife
Sarracenia has no particular known value to wildlife in the UK.
