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Sarracenia flava L.
Yellow Pitcherplant
Federal Protection: No US federal protection
State Protection: Unusal
Global Rank: G5?
State Rank: S3S4
Element Locations Tracked in Biotics: Yes
SWAP 2015 Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN): No
SWAP 2025 Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN): Yes
2025 SGCN Priority Tier: High Conservation Concern
Element Occurrences (EOs) in Georgia: 149
Habitat Summary for element in Georgia: Wet savannas, pitcherplant bogs
Perennial herb forming dense clumps of leaves modified into erect, tubular "pitchers." Pitchers are 10 - 37 inches (25 - 95 cm) tall, bright yellowish-green, narrow at the base and widening to an oval opening partially covered by a hood; a narrow wing runs the length of the pitcher; the narrow “neck” at the base of the hood may be dark red or the neck and top of the pitcher may be veined with red. Pitchers do not overwinter and are produced after the first flowers appear in the spring and into early summer. A few flat, slightly curved, non-pitcher leaves (phyllodes), 3 - 12 inches (8 - 30 cm) tall develop in the summer and persist through the winter. The flower stalk is up to 24 inches (60 cm) tall, shorter than the pitcher. The flower is solitary with 5 drooping, bright yellow petals, 2 - 3.3 inches (5 - 8.5 cm) long; 5 yellow-green sepals; and a yellow-green, umbrella-shaped style disk in the center of the flower. The sepals and style disk persist long after the petals fall and the fruit develops. The fruit is a round, warty, five-segmented capsule about 0.7 inch (1.5 - 2 cm) wide.
In Georgia, Sarracenia flava most closely resembles Green Pitcherplant (Sarracenia oreophila), a species currently known only from the Southern Appalachians in Georgia (historically also documented in the western Piedmont). Its flower stalks are taller than the pitchers. The phyllodia form large clumps and each phyllode is strongly curved, usually curving 45 - 90 degrees.
Sarracenia flava also resembles Pale Pitcherplant (Sarracenia alata), which occurs from Alabama west to Texas, but not in Georiga. Its neck and upper pitcher lack any red coloration.
Eleven types of Pitcherplant occur in Georgia, including 8 species, 4 varieties, and 2 subspecies. All are considered rare, vulnerable, threatened or endangered.
Sarracenia flava (Yellow Flytrap), https://www.georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=18445
Sarracenia leucophylla (Whitetop Pitcherplant), https://www.georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=18829
Sarracenia minor var. minor (Hooded Pitcherplant), https://www.georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=33691
Sarracenia minor var. okefenokeensis (Okefenokee Giant Pitcherplant), https://www.georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=33687
Sarracenia oreophila (Green Pitcherplant), https://www.georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=16880
Sarracenia psittacina (Parrot Pitcherplant), https://www.georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=15362
Sarracenia purpurea var. montana (Mountain Purple Pitcherplant), https://www.georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=34032
Sarracenia purpurea var. venosa (Southern Purple Pitcherplant), https://www.georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=21623
Sarracenia rosea (Rose Pitcherplant), https://www.georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=34058
Sarracenia rubra ssp. gulfensis (Gulf Sweet Pitcherplant), https://www.georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=18435
Sarracenia rubra ssp. rubra (Sweet Pitcherplant), https://www.georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=19129
Wet savannas and pine flatwoods, seepage slopes, pond cypress swamps, baygalls, titi thickets, and bogs.
Pitcherplants capture and digest insects and other small animals in their pitchers. Nectar is produced by glands around the top of the pitcher, luring animals to the opening with its sweet smell. Stiff, down-pointing hairs line the pitcher, encouraging animals to slide in and then impeding their escape. The red veins and “neck” on the pitchers of Sarracenia flava attract insects and direct them into the pitcher. Enzymes dissolved in water in the base of the pitcher digest the animals, making nutrients, particularly nitrogen, available for absorption by the plant. (Soils of bogs and other permanently saturated wetlands are typically low in nitrogen.)
Pitcherplants reproduce sexually and also vegetatively by the spread of underground stems (rhizomes). They usually reach 4 - 5 years old before they flower and may live to be 20 - 30 years old. The unusual shape of their flowers, with drooping petals and umbrella-like style disk, promotes cross-pollination by insects. When an insect, usually a bee, pushes its way past the petals to reach the nectar and pollen on the interior of the flower, it brushes against one of the stigmas, which are at the pointed tips of the “umbrella,” and deposits pollen gathered from a previously visited flower. Once inside the petals, it picks up pollen from the anthers and from the inner surface of the umbrella and then carries it to the next visited flower, usually avoiding the stigmas as it leaves the flower.
Since it would be a disadvantage to the plant to “eat” its pollinators, most pitcherplants produce flowers before their pitchers are well developed or hold them on tall stalks well above the pitchers. As the fruit matures, its stalk turns almost upright and the fruit splits apart, exposing the seeds to wind currents.
Sarracenia flava blooms March–April, before its leaves mature; the pitchers are easily recognizable throughout the summer and fall.
Coastal Plain of Georgia, west to Mississippi and north to southeastern Virginia.
Conversion of habitat to pine plantations, pastures, and developments. Ditching and draining of wetlands. Fire suppression, canopy closure, and encroachment by woody plants. Poaching. Digging by feral hogs. Off-road vehicle use in bogs and swamps. Invasion by exotic pest plants.
| Threat 1 | Threat 2 | Threat 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Threat | Agriculture & aquaculture | Natural system modifications | Natural system modifications |
| Specific Threat | None | None | None |
Sarracenia flava is ranked S3S4 by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, indicating that it is relatively secure in the state. It is listed as Unusual by the State of Georiga. It was once one of the most abundant of Georgia’s pitcherplants, historically occurring in at least 42 counties. It was originally added to the state protection list because of the threat of poaching and commercial exploitation. However, its habitat has since been widely destroyed and many of the older populations are now gone. Protecting the habitats where Sarracenia flava and other carnivorous plants occur is a top priority of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and plant conservation groups.
Avoid ditching, draining, and mechanical clearing. Apply prescribed fire every 2 - 3 years preferably in the growing season. Limit access to sites to prevent poaching and off-road vehicle traffic. Eradicate feral hogs and exotic pest plants.
Botanical Society of America. 2008. Sarracenia - the Pitcher Plants. https://botany.org/Carnivorous_Plants/Sarracenia.php
Christensen, N.L. 1976. The role of carnivory in Sarracenia flava L. with regard to specific nutrient deficiencies. Journal of the Elisha Mitchell Scientific Society 92: 144-147. https://www.jstor.org/stable/24334574?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents
GADNR. 2020. Element occurrence records for Sarracenia flava. Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division, Social Circle, Georgia.
Godfrey, R.K. and J.W. Wooten. 1981. Aquatic and wetland plants of southeastern United States, Vol. 2, dicotyledons. University of Georgia Press, Athens.
Jennings, D.E. and J.R. Rohr. 2011. A review of the conservation threats to carnivorous plants. Biological Conservation 144: 1356-1363. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320711001078
International Carnivorous Plant Society. 2008. Carnivorous plant FAQ. http://www.sarracenia.com/faq/faq5525.html
McDaniel, S. 1971. The genus Sarracenia. Bulletin 9, Tall Timbers Research Station, 13093 Henry Beadel Rd, Tallahassee, Florida 32312.
Mellichamp, T.L. and F.W. Case. 2009. Sarracenia flava species account. Flora of North America, Vol. 8. http://beta.floranorthamerica.org/Sarracenia_flava
NatureServe. 2020. Species account for Sarracenia flava. NatureServe Explorer. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.160353/Sarracenia_flava
Patrick, T.S., J.R. Allison, and G.A. Krakow. 1995. Protected plants of Georgia. Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Program, Social Circle.
Schnell, D.E. 2002. Carnivorous plants of the United States and Canada, 2nd edition. Timber Press, Inc. Portland, Oregon.
Weakley, A.S. 2015. Flora of the southern and mid-Atlantic States. University of North Carolina Herbarium, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. http://www.herbarium.unc.edu/flora.htm
Linda G. Chafin
L.Chafin, Aug. 2008: original account
D.Weiler, Feb. 2010: added pictures
L. Chafin, May 2020: updated original account.
