Mature “Okee Monster” (Sarracenia x Formosa)

Meet Sarracenia x formosa, the beautiful love child (natural hybrid) of S. minor and S. psittacina. Documented from 4 counties in North Florida. This pitcher plant is a hybrid between Sarracenia minor and Sarracenia pscittacina, known to science as Sarracenia x formosa. Formosa means “beautiful”, which is appropriate for these plants, as they often become a vivid ruby red through the summer. These plants live in the blackwaters of the Okefenokee swamps of Georgia, down near the Florida state line.

Ease to Grow: Easy.
Dormancy: Recommended.
Native Range: Wet Pocosins of the Gulf Coast of North America.
Zones: 5-8 (4-9).

Sarracenia x formosa  (S. minor x psittacina) is a fairly unusual natural hybrid. It forms a low rosette of pinky red, densely packed pitchers that curve upward at the rounded hoods. Small white areoles (windows) faintly occur on the hood and along the thick and waxy pitcher tube. It is striking in full sun when the traps develop their darkest colors. In the Winter it frequently turns a gorgeous deep reddish purple color. It is a slightly fragrant, early Spring bloomer with scarlet red blossoms that flower well before the new traps develop. Flower stalks and sepals last through the year, resembling rufous daffodils. It is a rare native from northern Florida and southern Alabama, and is hardy to zone 4. It is well-suited for terrariums.

Plants are shipped bare-root, wrapped in damp sphagnum moss. In it’s dormant season, it will be shipped as a dormant rhizome with trimmed off pitchers. Photographs are representative of the hybrid, and not the specific plant shipped.

Height: 4″ – 6″.
Plant Type: Perennial, temperate.
Soil: Upper Bog Mix or General CP Mix.
Light: Bright to partial bright indoors, full sun to partial sun outdoors.
Use: Grows well in the bog garden, greenhouse and indoors. It is an excellent accent terrarium plant.