Sarracenia purpurea
Purple pitcherplant
(c) Aaron Carlson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Sarraceniaceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Sarracenia purpurea (Purple pitcherplant) is a non-native California herb in the Sarraceniaceae family, recognized by Only Sarracenia species in California, naturalized from eastern North America in suitable bog habitats.
Purple pitcherplant is a naturalized perennial found in northern coastal California, including Mendocino and Del Norte Counties, and Butterfly Valley in the northern Sierra Nevada, inhabiting acidic seeps, marshes, and bogs at elevations below 1,200 meters. Flowering from May to July, this distinctive plant produces deep purple-red flowers 2 to 6 centimeters long with pale green and dark red-purple coloration. Growing with ascending leaves 20 centimeters tall that range from green-yellow to deep red and dramatically enlarge toward their tips, it forms unique pitcher-shaped structures. Its leaves are modified into distinctive tubular traps with a color gradient from green to deep red, creating a carnivorous plant adaptation. The fruit is spherical to ovoid, approximately 1 to 2.5 centimeters long with five distinct lobes.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Only Sarracenia species in California, naturalized from eastern North America in suitable bog habitats
Habitat and range
Habitat: Acidic seeps, marshes, bogs
Elevation: < 1200 m
California counties: Plumas
Outside California: native to eastern North America
Bloom period
Sarracenia purpurea blooms May-Jul.
How to tell it apart
vs Nepenthes: Sarracenia pitchers grow from ground rosette; tropical pitcher plant has hanging pitchers on climbing vines.; vs Darlingtonia: Sarracenia has simple trumpet with hinged lid; Darlingtonia has dome top with hanging fang-like appendages.
Frequently asked questions
Is Sarracenia purpurea native to California?
No. Sarracenia purpurea is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Sarracenia purpurea bloom?
Sarracenia purpurea blooms May-Jul.
Where in California does Sarracenia purpurea grow?
Sarracenia purpurea occurs in Plumas, at elevations of < 1200 m.
What plant family does Sarracenia purpurea belong to?
Sarracenia purpurea is in the Sarraceniaceae family, genus Sarracenia.
What habitat does Sarracenia purpurea grow in?
Sarracenia purpurea grows in Acidic seeps, marshes, bogs.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.