Flower profile

Purple pitcher plant

Sarracenia purpurea

Purple pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpurea) is a flowering plant in the Sarraceniaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly May–August across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Purple pitcher plant is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 8 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in May–August.

29states where USDA records it

8Bloomipedia state lists include it

23,922U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin

Quick look

Sarracenia purpurea, the purple pitcher plant, northern pitcher plant, turtle socks, or side-saddle flower, is a carnivorous plant in the family Sarraceniaceae.
From Wikipedia's article Sarracenia purpurea, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Sarraceniaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 29 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
In Michigan, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–August. ^iNaturalist
In Maine, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–August. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,863 research-grade sightings of it in Michigan, ranking #52 among the 172 flowers on our Michigan list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,669 research-grade sightings of it in Maine, ranking #14 among the 160 flowers on our Maine list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,189 research-grade sightings of it in Wisconsin, ranking #63 among the 161 flowers on our Wisconsin list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,389 records)

Bloom time in the 8 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Michigan	Native	May–August	2,863
Maine	Native	June–August	2,669
Wisconsin	Native	May–July	2,189
New Jersey	Native	May–July	2,059
Minnesota	Native	June–July	2,041
New Hampshire	Native	June–August	1,517
Vermont	Native	June–August	1,292
West Virginia	Introduced	few records (15)	559

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)

Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}

NatureServe global

G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe

State rare plant lists

Not listed Not on the official rare plant list in 7 of our 8 states.

See each state

Michigan: Not listed Not on Michigan endangered and threatened plants (Mich. Admin. Code R 299.1028, eff. March 20, 2023). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Michigan. ^{R 299.1028}
Maine: Not listed Not on Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Maine. ^{Maine rare plant list}
Wisconsin: Not listed Not on Wisconsin endangered and threatened species list (Wis. Admin. Code NR 27.03). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Wisconsin. ^{NR 27.03}
New Jersey: Not listed Not on New Jersey Endangered Plant Species List (N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Jersey. ^{N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1}
Minnesota: Not listed Not on Minnesota endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Minn. R. 6134.0300). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Minnesota. ^{Minn. R. 6134.0300}
New Hampshire: Not listed Not on New Hampshire Official Rare Plants List (Ncr 312, eff. Jan 1, 2020). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Hampshire. ^{NH Ncr 312}
Vermont: Not listed Not on Endangered and Threatened Plants of Vermont (10 V.S.A. chap. 123; list of Feb 10, 2022). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Vermont. ^{Vermont E&T list}

West Virginia

No list West Virginia has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (only federally listed species are protected), so we show NatureServe's West Virginia ranks instead. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in West Virginia.

Rare elsewhere

Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: DE (S2), GA (S1), IL (S1), MD (S2), OH (S2), VA (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records purple pitcher plant in 29 states plus Washington, D.C.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Alaska, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.

Michigan counties with USDA records: Alcona, Alger, Allegan, Alpena, Antrim, Arenac, Baraga, Barry, Benzie, Berrien, Calhoun, Cass, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Chippewa, Clare, Clinton, Crawford, Delta, Eaton, Emmet, Gladwin, Gogebic, Grand Traverse, Gratiot, Houghton, Ingham, Iosco, Iron, Kalamazoo, Kalkaska, Kent, Keweenaw, Leelanau, Lenawee, Livingston, Luce, Mackinac, Marquette, Mason, Mecosta, Montcalm, Montmorency, Muskegon, Oakland, Ogemaw, Osceola, Otsego, Ottawa, Presque Isle, Roscommon, Schoolcraft, St. Clair, St. Joseph, Van Buren, Washtenaw, Wexford.

Maine counties with USDA records: Androscoggin, Aroostook, Cumberland, Franklin, Hancock, Kennebec, Knox, Oxford, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Sagadahoc, Somerset, Waldo, Washington, York.

Wisconsin counties with USDA records: Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Brown, Burnett, Calumet, Chippewa, Clark, Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Door, Douglas, Florence, Fond du Lac, Forest, Green Lake, Iron, Jackson, Jefferson, Kenosha, La Crosse, Langlade, Lincoln, Manitowoc, Marathon, Marinette, Marquette, Menominee, Milwaukee, Monroe, Oconto, Oneida, Ozaukee, Polk, Portage, Price, Racine, Rock, Rusk, Sauk, Sawyer, Shawano, Sheboygan, Taylor, Trempealeau, Vilas, Walworth, Washburn, Washington, Waukesha, Waupaca, Wood.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Alaska: Native; Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native; St. Pierre and Miquelon: Native.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 403 counties across 26 states; the most are in Michigan (57), Wisconsin (53), New York (41).

Other Sarracenia on Bloomipedia (6): Yellow pitcher plant, Hooded pitcher plant, Pale pitcher plant, White pitcher plant, Parrot pitcher plant, Burk's southern pitcher plant.

More from the Sarraceniaceae family (7 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): California pitcher plant.

More Michigan flowers

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Ghost pipe

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Roses (genus Rosa)

Rosa

★ NY state flower🌷 Garden flower

🌼 Blooms in MI: June–July

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile SAPU4.
iNaturalist, Sarracenia purpurea: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Sarracenia purpurea (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
State rare and invasive plant lists (15):
Show all 15 state lists
- Michigan: Michigan endangered and threatened plants (Mich. Admin. Code R 299.1028, eff. March 20, 2023).
- Michigan: Michigan prohibited and restricted species (NREPA Part 413 and the 2026 Invasive Species Order), as listed by Michigan's Invasive Species Program.
- Maine: Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories.
- Maine: Maine Do Not Sell invasive plant list (01-001 C.M.R. ch. 273).
- Wisconsin: Wisconsin endangered and threatened species list (Wis. Admin. Code NR 27.03).
- Wisconsin: Wisconsin invasive species rule (Wis. Admin. Code NR 40.04 prohibited, NR 40.05 restricted).
- New Jersey: New Jersey Endangered Plant Species List (N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1).
- New Jersey: New Jersey prohibited invasive plant species (Invasive Species Management Act; propagation banned from Jan 1, 2027, sale from Jan 1, 2030).
- Minnesota: Minnesota endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Minn. R. 6134.0300).
- Minnesota: Minnesota Noxious Weed List (Minn. Stat. § 18.79; Minnesota Department of Agriculture, updated January 2026).
- New Hampshire: New Hampshire Official Rare Plants List (Ncr 312, eff. Jan 1, 2020).
- New Hampshire: NH Prohibited Invasive Species List (Agr 3800, Table 3800.1).
- Vermont: Endangered and Threatened Plants of Vermont (10 V.S.A. chap. 123; list of Feb 10, 2022).
- Vermont: Vermont Quarantine List, Regulated Introduced Plant Species Rule (eff. June 16, 2026).
- West Virginia: West Virginia noxious weeds (W. Va. Code R. § 61-14A-5) (the rule abbreviates some names (e.g. “P. cuspidatum”); we expand them to match).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Sarracenia purpurea (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Nick Kleinschmidt via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.