Flower profile
Yellow pitcher plant
Sarracenia flava
Yellow pitcher plant is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in March–July.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: North Carolina, South Carolina
Quick look
Sarracenia flava, the yellow pitcherplant, is a carnivorous plant in the family Sarraceniaceae. Like all the Sarraceniaceae, it is native to the New World. Its range extends from southern Alabama, through Florida and Georgia, to the coastal plains of southern Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Populations also exist in the Piedmont, Mendocino County, California and mountains of North Carolina.
- 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 7 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to North Carolina and South Carolina. NatureServe
- In North Carolina, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–August. iNaturalist
- In South Carolina, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–September. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 3,008 research-grade sightings of it in North Carolina, ranking #52 among the 111 flowers on our North Carolina list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 978 research-grade sightings of it in South Carolina, ranking #25 among the 111 flowers on our South Carolina list. iNaturalist
Yellow pitcher plant gift ideas
Handmade yellow pitcher plant gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Yellow pitcher plant art print
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Yellow pitcher plant greeting card
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Yellow pitcher plant mug
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Yellow pitcher plant earrings
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Yellow pitcher plant embroidery pattern
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Yellow pitcher plant sticker
When does it bloom?
Bloom time in each of our 2 states
| State | Type | Peak bloom | Sightings* |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | Native | March–August | 3,008 |
| South Carolina | Native | March–September | 978 |
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
- North Carolina
- Not listed Not on North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301). NatureServe: S3, vulnerable in North Carolina. 02 NCAC 48F .0301
- South Carolina
- No list South Carolina has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's South Carolina ranks instead. NatureServe: S3, vulnerable in South Carolina.
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: VA (S1). (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.
Please don't pick or dig this flower: NatureServe ranks it S3 in North Carolina and S3 in South Carolina. NatureServe
Can you eat it?
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
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 yellow pitcher plant in 7 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia.
North Carolina counties with USDA records: Beaufort, Bladen, Brunswick, Caldwell, Carteret, Chowan, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Dare, Duplin, Greene, Harnett, Hoke, Iredell, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lenoir, Martin, Moore, Nash, New Hanover, Onslow, Pamlico, Pender, Richmond, Robeson, Sampson, Scotland, Tyrrell, Wake, Warren, Wayne, Wilson.
South Carolina counties with USDA records: Bamberg, Barnwell, Berkeley, Calhoun, Charleston, Chesterfield, Clarendon, Colleton, Darlington, Dillon, Dorchester, Florence, Georgetown, Hampton, Horry, Jasper, Kershaw, Lee, Lexington, Marion, Marlboro, Orangeburg, Richland, Sumter, Williamsburg.
More North Carolina flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile SAFL4.
- iNaturalist, Sarracenia flava: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Sarracenia flava (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- North Carolina: North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301).
- North Carolina: North Carolina Noxious Weed List (02 NCAC 48A .1702) (the list names any non-native Lythrum; we apply it to purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), which isn't native).
- South Carolina: South Carolina State Plant Pest List, plants (S.C. Code Regs. 27-135; Clemson Dept. of Plant Industry).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Sarracenia flava (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
- Photo: Ken Kneidel via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.