East Texas' Pitcher Plant Bogs
A little known plant community exists in Deep East Texas.
If you asked most people living in Texas what they would think of as the definitive landscape of the state, you would probably get some vague answer that included bluebonnets and the rolling country side of central Texas. It’s certainly what is most touted in our media in the state to showcase the natural beauty here; that or a photo of ranch with the mountains of west Texas behind it. And don’t get me wrong, I love those scenes, but Texas is far more diverse than that.
We have pitcher plants, too!
What are pitcher plants? There are several species of pitcher plants worldwide but in Texas we have North American pitcher plants in the genus Sarracenia.
The genus Sarracenia, sometimes known as the trumpet pitcher genus, consists of some 10 species native to eastern North America. Insects and other prey are attracted to the mouth of the pitcher by a trail of nectar-secreting glands that extend downward along the lip to the interior of the pitcher. The throat of the pitcher, just below the lip, is very smooth and sends the animal tumbling down into the liquid pool at the bottom of the pitcher, where it drowns. The body is then digested by enzymes secreted within the leaf. - From Britannica
More specifically, our native pitcher plant is Sarracenia alata, sometimes known as yellow trumpets.
Pitcher plants have certain habitat requirements, and of course with the name bog being involved, a lot of water is required! Many bogs are rainwater dependent, the water standing in puddles for long periods of time due to slow draining soil substrates, which prevents the water from seeping through to the aquifer quickly. Others have input from springs and seeps. But all are very nutrient poor, particularly for nitrogen. Which is why the carnivorous plants are carnivorous—they make up for the loss in nutrients by absorbing it from the insects they catch in their pitchers, or in the case of carnivorous plants like sundews, via the sticky glands on their leaves.
Pitcher plant bogs need a lot of sunlight to thrive. Historically, they flourished on frequent burning as did much of the habitat across the south. When fire suppression became the norm, especially over the last 125 years, many of these bogs became overgrown with native, woody vegetation that fire normally kept in check. Eventually these bogs disappeared because of that habitat change. In addition, bogs were lost due to regular, old-fashioned development. An estimated 2-3% of the original pitcher plant habitat remains.
Pitcher plant bogs host a range of other specialized plants that are typically found only in areas like this; from interesting ground orchids, to specialized grasses and sedges, to sphagnum mosses and beyond. While the pitcher plants are often the star of the show in the bog, there are many other unique and rare species that utilize the same habitat and are just as interesting to get to know, too.
Where to see a pitcher plant bog in Texas:
Due to the sensitive nature of these habitats, I won’t be giving detailed locations to some of the more obscure areas. There are two well-known public viewing points for pitcher plants and other carnivorous plant species that I can share:
If you visit these places, please know that poaching sensitive and rare plants is illegal. There are reputable sources online to buy pitcher plants if you want to grow them yourself, which many home gardeners do! Plenty of folks are willing to sell or trade plants and if you need a referral to someone, let me know and I’ll be glad to connect you.
Definitely head to southeast Texas and the Big Thicket sometime to enjoy these unique habitats. You will truly be astonished by the diversity of plant life there! The best time to go is in early to mid-spring so you can see the new pitchers forming after winter dormancy and also the gorgeous, otherworldly blooms!
I loved all the botanical info and beautiful pics. I’m sure we have native pitcher plants up here but have not thought to go looking for them until now!
Fascinating! I never knew that's what those were. Some of my favorite plants in east Texas are the palmettos, which we clearly don't have here in Indiana.