Sarracenia New Hybrids

This Sarracenia New Hybrids mix, also known as Pitcher Plants or Sarracenias, brings together various hybrids from the 8 species that make up the genus. After 3 or 4 years of cultivation, they produce strange flowers surrounded by modified leaves, forming very decorative cones in shades of deep red or yellowish-green, which retain rainwater. These are deadly traps for insects that drown in them, providing the plant with an extra source of food that it struggles to find in the extremely poor peaty soil. More or less hardy, but perennial, they prefer the shelter of a greenhouse or conservatory to thrive, requiring acidic, peaty, moist to waterlogged soil, and a sunny or semi-shaded exposure.

Sarracenia are perennial plants native to the eastern United States, where they grow in bogs and marshes. They are divided into 8 species and numerous hybrids, and belong to the Sarraceniaceae family. The plants in the New Hybrids mix are fascinating. They resemble clusters of cones, varying in width, also known as urns, emerging directly from the ground, with clumps measuring about 30cm (12in) in all directions. They all bear strange flowers with numerous petals, with styles forming an umbrella sheltering the stamens. They are generally red, purple, yellow or greenish, or a combination of these two colours. These colours are also found in the modified leaves, forming a cone, also called foliar pitchers, as decorative as the flowers. Attracted by the colours and the promise of sweet nectar, insects dive into the water-filled cones, sliding on the inner walls of the cone, which are often lined with downward-facing hairs, making any attempt to climb back up futile, leading to certain death. The plant uses the proteins contained in the insects' bodies, 'digesting' them with specific enzymes to extract assimilable nitrogenous substances. This adaptation fulfils their need to supplement the nitrogen intake necessary for their life and growth in nutrient-poor soils. Bogs are indeed very low in organic matter.

Incredibly fascinating, the Sarracenia 'New Hybrids Mixed' make a focal point in a warm greenhouse, conservatory, or in a small garden that can be dedicated to them near a window. These amazing plants, like orchids, deserve a special spot within sight to be able to observe them up close. In a mild climate garden, one can create an artificial bog near a water source and choose companion plants such as the pitcher plant, Greenland moss, Canadian rhododendron, other carnivorous plants like sundews, cottongrass, black crowberry, cranberry, or black spruce.