Light Requirements: Prefers full sun. Provide at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily. Indoors, place near a bright south- or west-facing window, or supplement with a grow light if needed.
Watering Needs: Keep the soil constantly moist using only distilled, reverse osmosis, or rainwater. Do not allow to dry out. Place the pot in a tray with water to maintain consistent moisture, especially during the growing season.
Soil Preference: Use a nutrient-poor, acidic medium such as a 1:1 mix of sphagnum peat moss and perlite or silica sand. Never use potting soil, compost, or fertilizer-enriched mixes.
How to Fertilize: Do not fertilize. Sarracenia purpurea obtains nutrients from captured insects. Supplementing with fertilizer can damage or kill the plant.
Hardiness Zone: Suitable for USDA Hardiness Zones 3–8. It is cold-hardy and can survive freezing temperatures with adequate winter dormancy.
Pet Safety: Non-toxic to cats and dogs.
Additional Care Tips: Sarracenia purpurea is a temperate, carnivorous plant that requires a winter dormancy period of 3–4 months at temperatures between 35–50°F. During this time, reduce watering slightly and provide cooler conditions. In summer, it produces tubular pitchers that collect rainwater and trap insects. Grow outdoors in bog gardens or containers for best performance, but ensure it never dries out. Avoid standing water in freezing temperatures. Trim dead pitchers in early spring as new growth begins.
