Species › Plants › White-topped Pitcher Plant

White-topped Pitcher Plant

Sarracenia leucophylla

RarePlant
Illustration of White-topped Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia leucophylla)

The White-topped Pitcher Plant is among the most beautiful of the North American pitcher plants, its pitchers dramatically striped with white at the top and red veins against a green background. It grows in the wet pine savannas of the Gulf Coast, one of the most species-rich and most threatened ecosystems in North America. The white tops mimic the appearance of flowers to lure insects into the trap. Over 95% of its habitat has been destroyed by development, fire suppression, and drainage.

Habitat
Wet longleaf pine savannas, pitcher plant bogs, and seepage slopes along the Gulf Coast from Florida to Mississippi.
Diet
Carnivorous — captures and digests insects and small invertebrates; flowers attract specialist bees for pollination.
How common
Rare

Best time to see a White-topped Pitcher Plant

The best time to see a White-topped Pitcher Plant is March–June, when about 61% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 4,393 research-grade iNaturalist observations.

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