'Copper Top' Pitcher Plant (Saracennia)
Perennial
- Unique pitcher-like flowers with distinct copper coloring!
- Carnivorous perennial traps & digests insects.
- Native perennial loved by garden collectors.
- Deer-resistant, heat-tolerant, great for wet soils.
- Zones 5-9, sun, 18-20" tall x 18-20" wide at maturity.
ZONE
EXPOSURE
HEIGHT
Description
Saracennia is a unique and rewarding native plant to grow. The pitcher plant requires little maintenance once established in the right conditions. This perennial has evolved from struggling for nutrients in its native soils to supplementing its nutrient intake by trapping and digesting insects. Enticing passing insects with their nectar at the opening of the plant, they crawl into the digestive enzymes at the bottom of the pitcher.
Details
Common name: Pitcher Plant
Zone: 5-9
Sun exposure: Sun (>6 hrs sun/day)
Height x width: 18-20" tall x 18-20"
Flower color: Yellow/gold
Foliage color: Green
Season of Interest: Spring
Bloom time: Early-mid spring
Features: Native, heat-tolerant, wet soils, container plants, low-maintenance, deer-resistant, rare & unusual, rain garden
Uses: Container gardens, rain gardens, specimen, massing, bog gardens, small spaces, insect control
How to Grow
Light: Full sun (>6 hours of sun/day)
Water: Plants should be grown with consistent sub-irrigation and no overhead watering.
Spacing: Minimum 1' apart.
Fertilizing: Keep constantly moist and use a heavy peat mix or media simulating a bog environment for best success. Regular potting soil and fertilizer are detrimental to the plant.
Winterizing: Add a thick layer of mulch to conserve moisture
Maintenance & pruning: Prune dead or dying pitchers to prevent disease and keep your pitcher plant looking nice.
Plant spacing is based on the ultimate width of the plants. This figure is normally given as a range; for example, 3-5’. If you live in a cold climate and/or want plants to fill in more quickly, plan to space at the shorter end of the range. If you live in a warm climate, are on a limited budget, or are willing to wait longer for plants to touch, use the higher end of the range. Using the larger number is recommended when calculating distance from a building or structure. There’s really no such thing as "maximum spacing": if you don’t want your plants to touch, you can space them as far apart as you’d like. All plant spacing is calculated on center, or in other words, the centers of the plants are spaced one half of their eventual width apart:
Unless you are planting in a straight line, as you might for hedges or edging, space your plants in a staggered or zig-zag pattern for a more interesting and naturalistic look:
Not sure just how many plants will fit in your garden? Our calculator gives you the exact amount of plants required for your space. Simply update the values and the calculator will re-calculate accordingly. Spacing information can be found in the 'How to Grow' tab on each plant's page.