Although the Sweet Pitcherplant has a fragrant, maroon-colored flower at the top of a leafless stem, usually taller than the pitchers (about 10 inches), it is not the flower that fascinates people. The hollow pitchers of this insectivorous perennial plant are leaves modified to passively capture small animal creatures. Insects attracted to the colorful leaves cannot crawl out of the pitcher because of downward pointing hairs within, and they eventually fall into the water and are digested by plant enzymes. Nutrients, especially nitrogen and phosphorus, are absorbed. These plants are water-lovers and if not grown in a pond can easily be grown in distilled or deionized water in full sun in a container (no fertilizer!). Sweet Pitcherplant has a tendency to lay its leaves along the ground, even in full sun.
