Product Field NotesCompanion Plants
Copper Top Pitcher Plant: An Easy First Carnivore for Sunny Bogs
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Copper Top pitcher plant is an upright yellow pitcher plant with a warm amber-copper wash on the hood and neck of every pitcher. The tall, yellow-green trumpets reach 18 to 20 inches, and the plant is especially vigorous for a carnivore, building into a sturdy clump. In spring, before the pitchers appear, it opens drooping chartreuse-yellow flowers with long, strap-like petals.
If you have been curious about carnivorous plants, this is a natural first one. Just know it wants the opposite of what your lavender wants, so it gets its own wet, sunny spot.
Copper Top at a glance
| Trait | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Sarracenia flava var. cuprea 'Copper Top' |
| Pitchers | Yellow-green with an amber-copper hood and neck |
| Flowers | Chartreuse yellow, about 3 inches across, with a musky scent |
| Size | 18 to 20 inches tall and wide |
| Bloom | Starts late April, peaks mid-May |
| Hardiness | USDA zones 5 to 9 |
| Light | Full sun |
| Deer | Resistant |
Where it fits on a lavender property
Copper Top and lavender share exactly one requirement: full, hot sun. Below the surface they are opposites, with lavender wanting dry, lean soil and the pitcher plant wanting its roots wet every day of the growing season. So do not plant them together. Instead, give Copper Top a small bog bed, a pond edge or a water-filled container in the same sunny part of the yard as the lavender.
That proximity makes a great garden moment: fragrant purple spikes on one side, glowing copper trumpets on the other. Plan the spot with the Companion Plant Planner.
A simple care calendar
- Early spring: trim away old, browned pitchers before new growth starts.
- Late April to May: flowers appear first, then the new pitchers. The copper color is most intense on these spring pitchers in full sun.
- Summer: keep the mix wet with rainwater or distilled water. Heat is no problem as long as the roots never dry.
- All season: no fertilizer. The pitchers catch insects, which is how the plant feeds.
- After hard frost: in a bog bed, mulch with pine straw and keep the soil moist. Containers need a cold, protected dormancy below 40°F.
Watch new growth for aphids, thrips, mealybugs or scale, and remove dead pitchers so they do not rot during dormancy.
The right mix
Use peat moss and sand, low in nutrients. Regular potting soil, compost and tap water with lots of minerals will slowly harm a pitcher plant. Starting with the right mix is the single biggest step toward success.
About the plug tray
Copper Top is offered as a 72-cell plug tray, suited to planting a full bog garden or several containers. See the product page for current availability, or visit the Wholesale Hub.
Frequently asked questions
Is Copper Top good for beginners?
Yes. It is especially vigorous and forgiving for a carnivorous plant, provided you give it sun, wet peat-and-sand mix and pure water.
Why is the copper color weaker in late summer?
The coloring is strongest on spring pitchers in full sun. Later pitchers may be greener, which is normal.
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