Sweet pitcherplant
Sarracenia rubra
Last reviewed: October 2026
Sweet pitcherplant (Sarracenia rubra) is a perennial forb native to AL, FL, GA, NC and 1 more states. It blooms in April and May. The flowers draw bees and flies.
Toxicity unknown
Sweet pitcherplant (Sarracenia rubra) is not listed by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (opens in new tab) or the other sources we check, so we have no verdict for it either way. Absence from those lists is not a clearance. If your pet shows symptoms after eating any plant, call the ASPCA at (888) 426-4435.
Light
full sun
Water
high
Size
8"–24" H × 8"–14" W
Bloom
Apr, May
Native to
AL, FL, GA, NC and 1 more states
Pollinators
bees, flies
Before you buy
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Cities and water utilities offer rebates for replacing lawn with native and water-wise plants. We track 458 programs across 44 states, each with a link to the provider and the date we last checked it.
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Browse plants for this ecoregion
A carnivorous perennial with slender, upright reddish-green tubular pitcher leaves that trap insects, and a single nodding wine-red flower each spring on a tall separate stalk. Forms a neat clump in consistently wet, boggy soils.
Growing Sweet pitcherplant
Grow Sweet pitcherplant in full sun and high water. Mature plants reach 8 to 24 inches tall and spread 8 to 14 inches wide.
Wildlife value
Traps and digests insects for nutrients in nutrient-poor bog soil, while its flowers, held above the traps, are pollinated separately by bees and flies.
Common questions
- How much sun does Sweet pitcherplant need?
- Sweet pitcherplant grows best in full sun conditions.
- When does Sweet pitcherplant bloom?
- Sweet pitcherplant blooms in April and May.
- Where is Sweet pitcherplant native?
- Sweet pitcherplant (Sarracenia rubra) is native to AL, FL, GA, NC and 1 more states, per the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (Kew).
- What pollinators does Sweet pitcherplant attract?
- Sweet pitcherplant draws bees and flies.
Native range data from the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (Kew). Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.
If something looks wrong
Common plant problems, and what to check first
These come up on almost any plant. Each guide lists the likely causes in the order they are worth ruling out, with one thing to check before you act on any of them, and links to the source it came from.
- It is dying right after planting
- Leaves turning yellow
- Wilting even though I watered it
- Brown crispy leaf tips
- Bugs on the plant
Ready to grow Sweet pitcherplant? Add it to your garden in Pollinator Patch to track it and get season-by-season care guidance.