A native carnivorous plant with tall yellow tubular leaves that trap insects. Most spectacular of southeastern pitcher plant species.

Also called: Yellow Pitcher Plant, Trumpet Pitcher

Native status: Native to southeastern US

§ Quick facts

SizeHeight 30–90 cm
LifespanPerennial; long-lived
OrderEricales
FamilySarraceniaceae

§ Encyclopedia

Sarracenia flava, the yellow pitcherplant, is a carnivorous plant in the family Sarraceniaceae. Like all the Sarraceniaceae, it is native to the New World. Its range extends from southern Alabama, through Florida and Georgia, to the coastal plains of southern Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Populations also exist in the Piedmont, Mendocino County, California and mountains of North Carolina.

Source: Wikipedia — Sarracenia flava Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

§ Identification

Field marks. Tall plant with tubular yellow-green pitcher leaves; nodding yellow flowers on tall stalks.

Similar species. Other Sarracenia species. White-top Pitcher.

§ Diet & behavior

Diet. N/A — photosynthesis

Behavior. Native carnivorous plant of southeastern coastal plain bogs. Tubular leaves are pitfall traps for insects.

§ Range

Southeastern US Coastal Plain

§ Habitat

Pine bogs, wet savannas, longleaf pine flatwoods

§ Threats

Pine flatwoods loss, drainage, illegal collection.

§ Conservation status

According to the IUCN Red List, the yellow pitcher plant is currently classified as Least Concern.

§ What helps

Buy nursery-grown only. Support longleaf pine restoration.

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§ Further reading

§ Sources cited

  • International Carnivorous Plant Society
  • USFWS Southeast