How to Grow a Purple Pitcher Plant
The idea of a carnivorous plant may surprise some people, but those who have experienced the beauty of purple pitcher plants have grown accustomed to the idea. With a stunning red-purple color, these plants brighten up any garden. Sweet nectar in the cone of the plant attracts insects, which are then trapped in the cone by a number of small hairs that prevent the insect from escaping. The plant then absorbs its nutrients from these dead insects. Keeping a purple pitcher plant in your garden can limit the number of insects as well as add a beautiful swath of color. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Purchase a purple pitcher plant from a garden center or nursery. Be sure to check the plant for insects or disease; use only healthy plants in your garden.
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Choose an area to plant the purple pitcher that receives direct sunlight. Plants that do not receive direct sunlight will be unable to produce the beautiful color with which they are most often associated.
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Add an acidic component to your soil, such as peat moss, if you have fairly alkaline soil. Mix the new component into your soil using a shovel or hoe. Peat moss will increase the acidity, helping the plant to thrive, and will also help the soil drain better so that the plant is not over watered.
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Dig a hole in the soil as deep as the plant is buried in the container, and about two feet wider than the roots of the plant.
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Place the plant in the hole. Fill the hole halfway, then tamp the soil down with your shovel to eliminate air bubbles. Finish filling the hole and tamp the soil again.
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Water the plant so that the soil is thoroughly moist. Use chlorine-free water (rainwater is best, if you have a way to collect it) as chlorine can damage the nectar and leaves of the plant.
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Water the plant at least twice per week. Be sure to keep the soil moist at all times. These plants require less water in the winter due to moisture in the air, but you should never let the soil become dry.
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Tips & Warnings
Purple pitcher plants can grow in Hardiness Zones 3 through 9 according to the Arbor Day Foundation. These zones have an average annual minimum temperature between -40 degrees and 30 degree F. The southern variety of the plant will only grow in zones 6 through 9.
If you only have access to water that contains chlorine, leave the water to sit out for 48 hours before watering the plant. Some of the chlorine will evaporate.
Do not feed the purple pitcher plant with fertilizer or any other plant food. It will feed itself with the insects it collects.
