Purple Pitcher Plant vs Canada Anemone - TreeTime.ca

Purple Pitcher Plant vs Canada Anemone

Sarracenia purpurea

Anemonastrum canadense (Anemone canadensis)

CUSTOM GROW

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Purple Pitcher Plant
Canada Anemone

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.

Canada Anemone is a native perennial wildflower known for its white, buttercup-like flowers. Blooming from mid-spring to early summer, it attracts a variety of pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. Its deep green foliage, characterized by deeply cut leaves with sharply toothed edges, adds texture and visual interest to the landscape even when the plant is not in bloom.

Canada Anemone grows naturally in moist meadows, forest edges, and riparian zones. Spreading rapidly through underground rhizomes, it forms large colonies that can help stabilize soil. It is well-suited to naturalization and restoration projects, including revegetating difficult, wet sites. Also suitable for rain gardens and pollinator gardens, but extra care and maintenance may be required to control its spread in smaller urban yards.

Purple Pitcher Plant Quick Facts

Canada Anemone Quick Facts

Zone: 2b
Zone: 3a
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: wet
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: fast
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Growth form: decumbent to upright, colony-forming
Growth form: spreading, colony forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium
Spreading: rhizomes - high
Maintenance: high
Maintenance: medium


Toxicity: all plants parts toxic if ingested, can cause skin irritation
Foliage: red to purple, tubular pitchers with hooded tops
Flowers: large nodding red flowers
Flowers: white, cup-shaped
Bloom time: summer
Bloom time: mid spring to early summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, NT, NU, PE
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, NT, NU, PE
Other Names: huntsmans cup, northern pitcher plant
Other Names: american meadow anemone, meadow anemone, roundleaf anemone, roundleaf thimbleweed