The Carnivorous Plant FAQ Field Trip Report -

Okefenokee and Doerun Georgia in 2003.

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The Giant!:
Of course, Okefenokee swamp is famous to carnivorous plant growers because it contains the endemic pitcher plant, Sarracenia minor var. okefenokeensis. (Horticulturists refer to this plant by the oddly spelled cultivar name, Sarracenia minor 'Okee Giant', or more simply, Sarracenia 'Okee Giant'.) As Don Schnell noted in his description of this variety, it is taller than Sarracenia minor var. minor and also has a reliably different height vs. pitcher depth ratio. I had seen this variety in the wild only once before, and it had been a fairly unimpressive viewing. So you can imagine my pleasure at seeing more plants close up. (Bonus! They were in flower!)

It is worth noting that these plants were not very heavily coloured on the outer surface (just a blush near the top of the pitcher), but the underside of the pitcher lid was intensely red and orange. The pitcher lip was crimson.

We started seeing these pitcher plants shortly after leaving Kingfisher Landing. These were on the canoe trail north, towards Maul Hammock Lake.

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Revised: October 2007
©Barry Rice, 2005