Hooded Pitcher Plant
Lured by nectar, insects enter the pitcher and are digested.
By LYNN ARTZ, SANDY TEDDER and DAVID RODDENBERRY
The intriguing hooded pitcher plant (Sarracenia minor) is blooming now in the Apalachicola National Forest and in the bog garden at Sopchoppy Depot Park. The yellow-green, upside-down flowers are mildly fragrant. The leaves form hollow green cones with curved hoods. Lured by nectar, insects crawl into these pitchers and cannot escape. Flying insects are confused by “windows” on the back of the hood that look like exits. Trapped insects are digested, compensating for poor soils. This carnivorous plant grows in boggy areas in the coastal southeastern U.S. Hooded pitcher plants are threatened in Florida. NEVER harvest these plants from the wild. Carnivorous plant nurseryman Kenny Coogan will speak about and sell hooded pitcher plants at the Sarracenia Chapter meeting at the Wakulla Library on April 18 at 6:30 p.m.