Sarracenia Oreophila – The Green Pitcher Plant, or Mountain Trumpet

While the name Sarracenia Oreophila may conjure up images of abundant, chocolatey treats with cream filling, this North American pitcher plant is more known for a distinct and unfortunate lack of abundance, green coloration that’s closer to salad than Oreo cookies, and as a general rule, is stuffed more with insects than cream filling.

Sarracenia Oreophila is commonly known as the Green Pitcher Plant, or Mountain Trumpet pitcher plant and produces early spring and summer pitchers reaching 24 inches (60 cm) tall. It is extremely cold-hardy (survives drops to 0°F/-18°C) and adapted for inland snowy, mountainous conditions. The plant bequeaths a certain vigor to hybridized offspring unseen in other Sarracenia hybrids, contributing to great pitcher size and vibrant coloration.

Important Note:

Sarracenia Oreophila is the single most endangered North American Pitcher Plant, limited to around 34 small sites in Tennessee (may actually be extinct in this area), North Carolina, Georgia, and northeastern Alabama. Some of these sites contain less than 50 plants each. S. Oreophila is listed as Endangered and you’ll need CITES permits to purchase it across state or country lines. There are plans in place to protect existing populations, and Atlanta Botanical Gardens has a propagation program underway for wilderness reintroduction. Click here to learn about their conservation efforts, and consider donating to the cause. Please be careful if you choose to purchase S. Oreophila, and only do so from reputable nurseries and with appropriate permits. Ex-situ conservation, or the preservation of S. Oreophila in cultivation, is important for the future of the species.