Sarracenia purpurea, or Purple Pitcherplant, differs from (most, not all) other species in this genus in several ways. Its pitchers are decumbent rather than upright, squatty and with a large lip; they are open to the sky instead of being protected by a hood, and are therefore probably full of water at any particular time; the hood is more vertical, with beautiful venation, and it is outfitted with stiff hairs oriented towards the orifice; the traps generally function for two seasons rather than one; and finally, the range of this species is orders of magnitude greater than the ranges of other species. It is found not only in the Southeastern states but also the Northeast, Midwest and all across Canada to British Columbia! The species is divided into two subspecies, S. purpurea ssp. purpurea (from New Jersey north) and S. purpurea ssp. venosa (New Jersey south). Also, its strategy for obtaining critical nutrients from its prey differs. While its capturing mechanism is not as efficient as it is in the upright pitcherplant species, the prey that do fall into the water are digested most efficiently! Young pitchers of S. purpurea produce digestive enzymes, but during the second season digestion is greatly aided by a whole community of microscopic creatures cultured in the water (see Wikipedia!). Nutrients, especially nitrogen and phosphorus, are absorbed. Like the more upright pitcherplants, these plants are sun- and water-lovers, and if not grown in a pond can easily be grown in a container of peat moss and perlite or sand, watered with distilled or deionized water, in full sun.
