Sarracenia mitchelliana

Sarracenias, commonly known as pitcher plants, are carnivorous plants mainly from North America. They bear flowers that grow singly on tall leafless stalks and most have long tubular 'pitchers'. Inside these pitchers is a well of digestive fluid to break down prey, which is absorbed by the plant. 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 water. Rainwater is best as pitcher plants dislike hard, lime-rich water.

Sarracenia x mitchelliana has green pitchers which shade to dark red towards the throat, and deep red flowers. For best results, keep the compost moist at all times. There's no need to feed plants with conventional plant food – instead place dead or alive insects in the pitchers, which the plants will feed from.