Pitcher Plant
Parts Usually Used
Root, leaves
Description of Plant(s) and Culture
Pitcher plant is a native North American unique perennial plant, 8-24 inches high; a horizontal, round rootstock produces the basal, pitcherlike, purple-veined leaves which are topped by an arching hood and are hairy and sticky on the inside, to trap insects, which the plant consumes. A solitary, large, red or purple flower nods on a naked flower stalk 1-2 feet high during May and June.
Where Found
Grows in swamps, peat or sphagnum bogs, savannas, wet meadows, and wet areas from Maryland to Minnesota and in Canada. Also in California and Oregon.
Medicinal Properties
Astringent, diuretic, stimulant, tonic
Legends, Myths and Stories
Various plants with slippery, pitcher-like leaves that contain a pool of enzymes that digest trapped insects are called pitcher plants. Most of these grow in swamps and bogs. The “pitchers” have smooth surfaces and downward-pointing hairs, making it difficult for insects to crawl out. Once the insect drowns, the leaves secrete enzymes that digest the insect’s soft body parts, which allows the plant to obtain nutrients that would otherwise be unavailable in its habitat.
Uses
Historically, herbalists employed the plant to stimulate the appetite and aid digestion.
Warning
May be a threatened species; best left undisturbed in the wild.
Bibliography
Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants , by Steven Foster and James A. , Houghton Mifflin Company, 215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10000 The Herb Book , by John Lust, Bantam Books, 666 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY. copyright 1974. , 15 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10023 The Rodale Herb Book: How to Use, Grow, and Buy Nature’s Miracle Plants (An Organic gardening and farming book) , edited by William H.
Hylton, Rodale Press, Inc. , 1974