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Sarracenia purpurea - Purple Pitcher

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Carnivorous Plants

Sarracenia purpurea

Purple Pitcher

S. purpurea, purple pitcher plant.  The widest ranging and most well recognized of the pitchers.  The purple pitcher plant is native in Canada, the Great Lakes and the eastern seaboard to southern New Jersey.  Little chance of freezing this carnivore out.  The purple pitcher is able to survive winter temps to -40 ◦F!  The purple pitcher plant is clump forming with smooth evergreen leaves up to 8", green red-purple, that rest back on the ground.  Leaves become more bulbous towards the mouth and grow off the center of the plant like spokes on a wheel.   The mouth is open to the sky to collect rain water.  The surrounding hood is slightly ruffled, hair lined and laced with purple venation.   Flowers in spring, nodding and fragrant,  rise on 1' stems.  Flowers 2-3" are crimson red and umbrella like.  May be easily reproduced from seed after a month of cold stratification.  Slow creeping rhizomes.  Zone 3 - 9.