Practical
Plants

Sarracenia flava

Yellow Trumpet

a perennial member of the Sarracenia genus in the family Sarraceniaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.5 m
Spread
0.5 m
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The root and leaves are hepatic. They are used in the treatment of dyspepsia, constipation, liver and kidney complaints[6].

Product or use
Hepatic
Product or use
Kidney

Environment

Range
South-eastern N. America - Virginia and North Carolina to Florida and Louisiana.
Habitat
Wet pinelands and bogs[5].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
high
Hardiness
Zone 7+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
very acid, acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - we have no information for this species but would suggest sowing the seed in light shade in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe if possible otherwise in early spring. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Consider giving the plants some protection from the cold for their first winter outdoors. Division might be possible.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Grow in sun or partial shade in peat or moss[8]. An insectivorous plant[11], it is best grown in a boggy position[7] and prefers a soil low in nitrogen. Plants require continuously moist conditions in a loose compost of sphagnum peat, live sphagnum and coarse acid sand[10]. They can be grown successfully in a plastic basin or in a pot that is standing in a deep saucer of water[10].

Plants are not hardy in Britain, requiring a minimum temperature of 5°c[8]. This conflicts with the hardiness rating of 7 (temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c) given in[9]. Plants can tolerate temperatures down to about -10°c[10].

A polymorphic species[9], it is becoming very rare in the wild and is on the CITES II list of endangered species.

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

  2. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

  3. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

  4. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2 Pan Books, London. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-330-37376-5

  5. Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950-00-00

    ↩

  6. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩

  7. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press (1951-00-00)

    ↩

  8. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. ISBN 0-86318-386-7 (1990-00-00)

    ↩1↩2

  9. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press ISBN 0-333-47494-5 (1992-00-00)

    ↩1↩2

  10. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2 Pan Books, London. ISBN 0-330-37376-5 (1998-00-00)

    ↩1↩2↩3

  11. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable ISBN 0094579202 (1974-00-00)

    ↩

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