Menu list goes here

Herbal Database Search Results

Back to: Pathways Main Search Page For Metaphysical uses visit The Witchs Haven

Sarracenia purpurea

Common name:	Pitcher Plant	Family:	Sarraceniaceae
Author:	L.	Botanical references:	43, 200
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	Eastern N. America - Labrador, south to Kentucky, Iowa and Florida. Naturalized in C. Ireland[17].
Habitat:	Sphagnum bogs and peaty barrens[43].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	0	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	2

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	Sarazina gibbosa[H]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Bekerplant [E], Kannenstrauch [E], Nepente [E], Periok Kera [E], Piante Da Brocche [E], Pitcher Plant [S,H], Pitcher-plant [FEIS], Pitchrplant [E], Purple Pitcherplant [B,P], Saddleplant [E],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	purpurea = purple
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Nepenthales. Pitcher-plant family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	Britain France Germany Italy Malaysia Netherlands Turkey Us

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen perennial growing to 0.3m by 0.3m . It is hardy to zone 3. It is in leaf all year, in flower from April to May. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs). We rate it 0/5 for edibility and 2/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very acid soil. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires wet soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Bog Garden, Woodland, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Diuretic Hepatic Kidney Laxative Oxytoxic Stomachic Tonic Women's complaints.

The root and leaves are diuretic, hepatic, laxative, stomachic and tonic[4, 61, 222]. They are used in the treatment of dyspepsia, constipation, liver and kidney complaints[61]. A cold decoction of the whole plant has been used in the treatment of whooping cough[257].
An infusion of the dried leaves has been used in the treatment of fevers and shakiness[257]. An infusion of the leaves has been used to make childbirth easier and also for sickness associated with an absence of menstrual periods[257]. An infusion of the leaves was at one time considered to be a cure for smallpox[4, 257], though this has never been substantiated[4].
An infusion of the roots has been used in the treatment of smallpox[207, 213], there are conflicting reports as to its effectiveness[213]. A decoction of the root has been given to women to help expel the afterbirth and to prevent sickness after childbirth[257]. A strong decoction of the root has been used in the treatment of spitting blood and pulmonary complaints[257].

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Grow in sun or partial shade in peat or moss[188]. Requires a moist but well-drained position[4]. Plants require continuously moist conditions in a loose compost of sphagnum peat, live sphagnum and coarse acid sand[260]. They can be grown successfully in a plastic basin or in a pot that is standing in a deep saucer of water[260].
An insectivorous plant[61], it is best grown in a boggy position[1] in a soil that is low in nitrogen. The leaves form cups which become filled with water in which insects become trapped, drown and are digested by the plant[4].
A very ornamental and polymorphic plant[200], it is becoming very rare in the wild and is on the CITES II list of endangered species.

Propagation

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.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

Details of Medicinal Uses, Habitats, etc. in M. Grieve A Modern Herbal (1931) [4]
[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[V] Images from the Vascular Plant Image Gallery of the Texas A& M Bioinformatics Working Group.
[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[S] Illustration from the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
[S] Illustration from the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[FEIS] Data (Uses, Ecology, Fire Effects) from the USDA Forestry Service Fire Effects Information System.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.

[43] Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950
A bit dated but good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[188] Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[207] Coffey. T. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File. 1993 ISBN 0-8160-2624-6
A nice read, lots of information on plant uses.

[213] Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books 1980 ISBN 0-449-90589-6
A nice book to read though it is difficult to look up individual plants since the book is divided into separate sections dealing with the different medicinal uses plus a section on edible plants. Common names are used instead of botanical.

[222] Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990 ISBN 0395467225
A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.

[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

[260] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2 Pan Books, London. 1998 ISBN 0-330-37376-5
Excellent photos of over 1,100 species and cultivars with habits and cultivation details plus a few plant uses. Many species are too tender for outdoors in Britain though there are many that can be grown outside.

Readers Comments

Main Search Page Help Bibliography

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963

This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Sarracenia+purpurea
This page (US) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Sarracenia+purpurea

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
(You can copy, distribute, display this works but: Attribution is required, its for Non-Commercial purposes, and it's Share Alike (GNUish/copyleft) i.e. has an identical license.)
We also ask that you let us know (michael@thewitchshaven.com) if you link to, redistribute, make a derived work or do anything groovy with this information.

Pathways Home :: View Cart :: Shipping & Returns :: Contact Us :: Privacy Policy :: Philosophy :: The Witchs Haven

We make no claims of magical effects or supernatural powers for any item in this catalog. In spite of legendary attributes or occult and craft tradition, such items are offered as curios only and beliefs concerning their magical effectiveness are related only for historical interest.