Birch Leaf Spirea vs Purple Pitcher Plant - TreeTime.ca

Birch Leaf Spirea vs Purple Pitcher Plant

Sarracenia purpurea

Spiraea betulifolia

CUSTOM GROW

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Purple Pitcher Plant
Birch Leaf Spirea

Purple Pitcher Plant is a native carnivorous plant, easily recognized by its purple-tinged, tubular pitchers that capture and digest insects. The nectar along the rim attracts insects to the pitcher, where slippery surfaces and downward-pointing hairs cause them to fall into the fluid below. Once inside, they are broken down, providing nutrients that allow the plant to thrive in nutrient-poor soils.
The plant produces nodding, purple-red flowers held high above the leaves. Interestingly, these blooms are pollinated by the Pitcher Plant Fly (Fletcherimyia fletcheri), whose larvae live in the fluid of the pitchers and feed on some of the trapped insects. It can be found in bogs, fens, and other wetlands. It is well-suited for wetland gardens, restoration, and naturalisation projects.
The Purple Pitcher Plant can be challenging to grow because of its specific requirements. It thrives in consistently moist (but not waterlogged), acidic soil, with a peat-and-sand mix typically recommended. The plant is sensitive to fertilizers, dissolved salts, and chlorinated water. When given the right conditions, full sun will bring out its brightest colors.
The Purple Pitcher Plant is the provincial flower of Newfoundland & Labrador.

Birch Leaf Meadowsweet is a small, rounded shrub, reaching 3 to 4 feet high.

In the early summer, white flowers emerge with dark green foliage. Come fall, birch-like leaves turn a kaleidoscope of red, orange, and purple adding seasonal interest.

Native to Japan and Eastern Asia, this dwarf shrub attracts butterflies and is an excellent option for the front row of a shrub border.

Purple Pitcher Plant Quick Facts

Birch Leaf Spirea Quick Facts

Zone: 2b
Zone: 4a
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: full sun
Moisture: wet
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: medium
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Growth form: decumbent to upright, colony-forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium
Suckering: none


Foliage: red to purple, tubular pitchers with hooded tops
Flowers: large nodding red flowers
Bloom time: summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, NT, NU, PE
Other Names: huntsmans cup, northern pitcher plant
Other Names: birch leaf meadowsweet, shiny leaf spirea, white spirea