Carnivorous Plant Encyclopedia

The pitcher plant most often seen at garden centres and home stores: a cross between the Philippine species N. ventricosa and N. alata (in the broad sense), bearing green pitchers flushed with red. Easy indoors, it is often sold under the name N. alata.

A hybrid of N. ventricosa and N. ampullaria with pitchers and leaves stained deep blood red. Tough and treated as a beginner's houseplant, it is often said to be the same clone as 'Lady Luck'.

A hybrid pitcher plant recorded as N. khasiana × (N. ventricosa × N. maxima); the same cross is sold abroad as 'St. Gaya'. It is sold everywhere from mass-market hanging baskets to aquarium plant stores.

A hybrid pitcher plant with large pale-green pitchers speckled red-brown and a near-vertical mouth ringed by a dark red-brown peristome. Pitchers reach about 25-30 cm, and it is a staple at both mass-market and specialist sellers.

A Czech-raised butterwort from P. agnata × P. moctezumae. It has long, narrow, arching leaves and flowers up to 4 cm across that open dark violet and fade to pink as they age.

A classic hybrid of the Mexican butterworts P. moranensis and P. ehlersiae. It flowers freely, and its large orchid-purple flowers have a white, many-rayed star at the throat.

A three-species Sarracenia hybrid raised by Alan Hindle. Pitchers open green laced with yellow in spring and turn deep plum red by late summer, topped by a ruffled hood mottled white, yellow and green.

An American cultivar from S. leucophylla × S. psittacina. Numerous vivid scarlet pitchers up to 40 cm tall turn their mouths toward the centre of the plant, and its vigour and good colour even in part shade have made it widespread.