Vascular Plants of North Carolina
Account for Whitetop Pitcherplant - Sarracenia leucophylla   Rafinesque
Members of Sarracenia with account distribution info or public map:
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Section 6 » Order Nepenthales » Family Sarraceniaceae
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AuthorRafinesque
DistributionA single collection from Carteret County in 1990 by Bob Peet: edge of powerline on Nine Foot Road. Plants were observed here from 1989-late 1990s (later?); no doubt planted here. A 2020 photo on Facebook from New Hanover County is also available.

Native of the East Gulf Coastal Plain from south-central GA to southeastern MS. Cultivated, and locally escaped. Also deliberately transplanted outside of its natural range.
AbundanceVery rare.
HabitatDisturbed wet powerline edge, among shrubs.
PhenologyFlowering and fruiting March-April on the Gulf Coast, not known to flower in NC.
IdentificationThis carnivorous plant is unmistakable with its 2-foot tall reddish-green to green trumpet-like tubes whose upper end and hood are bright white with red veins. The structurally similar S. flava, a native species in NC, has the tubes all green or yellow-green, often with reddish coloration on the upper ends.
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State RankSE
Global RankG3
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