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Cressler, Alan

Sarracenia flava

Sarracenia flava L.

Yellow Pitcherplant, Trumpets, Yellow Pitcher Plant

Sarraceniaceae (Pitcher-plant Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: SAFL4

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

A carnivorous plant bearing showy, bright yellow, drooping flowers and erect, trumpet-shaped, hollow, inflated leaves; flowers have a musty odor.

This mostly southern plant has hollow leaves that fill with water in which insects and other small organisms drown; their soft parts are then digested by the plant. A similar species, Trumpet Pitcher-plant (S. alata), with fiddle-shaped petals and leaves without the purple constriction at the base of the hood, is found from Alabama west to Texas; its range apparently does not overlap with that of Trumpets. Green Pitcher-plant (S. oreophila), found in North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama, is classified as an endangered species.

From the Image Gallery

46 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Breeding System: Flowers Bisexual
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 2 feet tall.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Yellow
Bloom Time: Apr , May

Distribution

USA: AL , FL , GA , NC , NJ , SC , VA
Native Distribution: New Jersey; Virginia south to Florida and west to Alabama.
Native Habitat: Wet pinelands and bogs.

Mr. Smarty Plants says

Plant identification, green and tube-like
September 18, 2008
LOOKING FOR NAME OF A GREEN TUBE-LIKE PLANT (SHAPED LIKE A CALLA LILY). THE VEINS ARE VISIBLE. MAYBE IN CLUSTER
view the full question and answer

National Wetland Indicator Status

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	OBL				OBL

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.1 (Lichvar, R.W. 2013. The National Wetland Plant List: 2013 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2013-49: 1-241). Click here for map of regions.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Longwood Gardens - Kennett Square, PA
Mt. Cuba Center - Hockessin, DE

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Sarracenia flava in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Sarracenia flava in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Sarracenia flava

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-05-17
Research By: TWC Staff

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