Pitcher plant - Types, How to Grow & Plant Care Tips

Pitcher plant is the generic name for a large group of carnivorous plants that includes many families. The pitcher plant is also known as Eve’s Cups, Fly-Catcher, Fly-Trap, Huntsman’s Cup, Monkey Cup, Side-Saddle Plant, or Water-Cup. Pitcher plants grow slowly. The growth rate varies according to the species and the environment.

Table of Contents

Pitcher plant is found in Australia, Madagascar, Papua New Guinea, North America, Seychelles, Southeast Asia, Sri Lanka and India (Meghalaya and Assam).

The following species are ideal as house plants:

Sarracenia purpurea
Nepenthes ventricosa
Nepenthes x ventrata

See also: 11 types of gardening for your home

Quick Facts

Scientific name	Nepenthaceae
Genus’s name	Sarracenia spp.
Families	Nepenthaceae and Sarraceniaceae
Common name	Pitcher Plant
Plant type	Perennial, Water Plant
Light	full sunlight to light shade
Height	6 inches to more than 36 inches tall.
Flower colour	Green, Pink, Red
Season features	Spring Bloom
Species	over 100 species
Toxic	Pitcher plants are not poisonous to humans or pet
Uses	Natural pest repellent as they eat insects. The leaf and root are used in alternative medicine to treat constipation, urinary tract problems, digestion problems, etc.

Characteristics

The flower’s colour, nectar and scent attract insects into its trap. The pitcher plant catches insects with its pitcher-shaped leaves, which have a pool of liquid that insects can’t escape. The pitcher plant absorbs nutrients from its prey. The bottom of the flower has digestive acids and enzymes, which dissolve the insect’s body.

Good Luck Plant

The pitcher plant is an auspicious plant, a lucky plant for the home and signifies long-term wealth. Also known as Monkey Cups, pitcher plants are popular for Lunar New Year as they look like money bags. Some species have red ‘bags’, which is the lucky colour of the festive season. The plant is also used for home décor as it attracts positive energies and prosperity.

Also read about some lucky plants for home

Types of Pitcher Plants

Pitcher Plants’ unusual shape and carnivorous habits are due to nutrient deficiencies in their native soil. ‘Pitcher Plant’ commonly refers to carnivorous plants in the Nepenthaceae and Sarraceniaceae families, however, plants in the Cephalotaceae and Bromeliaceae family, such as the Cephalotus, trap insects. Nepenthes has more than a hundred species. Nepenthes Pitcher Plants, also called Tropical Pitcher Plants, are typically climbers that feature rosettes of leaves.

The Sarraceniaceae family includes three genera:
- Sarracenia (North American Pitcher Plants)
- Darlingtonia (California Pitcher Plant)
- Heliamphora (Sun Pitchers)

Nepenthes alata is native to Southeast Asia. Their green hanging pitchers are long and speckled with red.

The purple pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpurea), also known as the northern pitcher plant, is adaptable to a wide range of areas and grows in North America and Canada. The plant’s pitchers are dark red and purplish.

The yellow pitcher plant (S. flava) is native to Texas and Florida and appears bright yellow in the full sun.

Parrot pitcher (S. psittacina), which looks like a bird beak, grows in the wet regions of the Gulf Coast, from Georgia to Mississippi.

Cobra lily (Darlingtonia californica), also called the California pitcher plant, is native to the coasts of California. This curved pitcher plant resembles a cobra head with an addition like a forked tongue.

Nepenthes khasiana is a pitcher plant native to India and grows on the slopes of Meghalaya. The evergreen shrub has the trap hanging on tendrils from the ends of beautiful, glossy, and oblong green leaves.

Varieties that are commonly grown and sold in India are Venus flytraps, Droseras (sundews), Utricularias (bladderworts), Pinguiculas (Butterworts) and Sarracenias (American Pitcher Plant).

How to grow Pitcher Plant?

The best way to propagate a new pitcher plant is via stem tip cutting. Use a sharp, sterilized knife to take a stem tip cutting with two to three leaves. Place the cutting in a sealed plastic bag and a dimly lit location. Wait for roots to form. Mist daily with tepid water to keep the medium moist. The pitcher plant cuttings should root within 8-10 weeks and can be transplanted once they begin to grow new leaves.

Common Problems

Brown Pitchers

If the pitchers appear brown and dry it could be due to a lack of water. Ensure that the soil is moist at all times. Another possible cause is low humidity. Spray water mist on the pitcher plant.

Yellow Foliage

Yellow foliage indicates a lack of sufficient water or an excess of minerals in the water. Pitcher plants are sensitive to minerals found in tap water. Use distilled water. In most cases, pitcher plants will thrive without fertilizer. However, they need to absorb an insect about once a month. If you notice your plant is yellow, try feeding it a small insect.

Also check some easy growing plants

How to take care of Pitcher Plant?

Pitcher plants are not toxic to pets or humans so you can safely keep the plants in your home.

Sunlight

Pitcher plants should be planted in a sunny spot or kept near a window that gets full sunlight. They require at least six hours of bright, direct light.

Soil

The soil should be a combination of organic material, sand and peat moss. For indoor potted pitcher plants, fill a container with a mixture of peat moss and either lime-free horticultural sand or perlite in a two-to-one ratio.

Water

Pitcher plants benefit from distilled water or rainwater. Keep the soil moist and water it three days a week. Pitcher plants naturally grow in boggy conditions. When growing a pitcher plant indoors, water is needed to keep the potting soil moist but not soggy. Never let the pot stand in water as wet soil can cause the plant to rot.

Feed your plant insects

Outdoors, the pitcher plants attract insects to feed on. Indoor pitcher plants must also be fed insects occasionally. If using dried insects simulate a live prey with a toothpick so that the plant secretes more digestive enzymes to break down the insect.

Pitcher plants get nutrients and nitrogen from insects and generally don’t require fertilizer. But if the plant has trouble developing additional pitchers, pour a few drops of diluted liquid fertilizer into the plant’s pitchers.

Pruning

As pitchers and leaves die naturally, trim them off to keep the plant vigorous. Prune back the green vine stems to encourage side shoots to grow.

FAQs

What do pitcher plants eat?

Pitcher plants are carnivorous plants that eat insects. Pitcher plants trap insects using leaves that are pot-shaped and filled with nectar that acts as a digestive fluid. The prey is lured into the pitcher where it is trapped and digested by the plant’s enzymes.

Are pitcher plants poisonous?

Pitcher plants are not poisonous to humans or pets.

Can you keep a pitcher plant indoors as a houseplant?

Pitcher plants can grow indoors where there is plenty of sunlight, moist soil, bugs and humidity. Most pitcher plants grow at room temperature. The best choice for indoors is Sarracenia purpurea or purple pitcher plant.

How long does a pitcher plant live?

The plants grow new pitchers in summer and one plant can have as many as 10 pitchers, depending on the species and environment. The pitchers can last a year but the plant itself can live for five decades.

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Purnima Goswami Sharma

Purnima Goswami Sharma is a freelance writer based in Mumbai, who has been contributing to various newspapers, magazines and portals for the last two decades. Besides being a research writer for various TV shows, she has been a visiting faculty at SNDT for Communication Skills. She hold a master’s degree in English Literature from Mumbai University and a diploma in Communications and Journalism. She writes on diverse subjects like real estate, interiors, education, lifestyle, health, entertainment and environment.

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