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About
This species is notable for its light pink petals, a unique feature among its relatives, and its ability to colonize drainage ditches along highways, providing a somewhat more sustainable habitat.
Field notes
Morphology
The species has pitchers and leaves that differ from other members of the genus, and it is appreciably more shade-tolerant than other species. It also features light pink petals and a nearly white style.
Distribution & habitat
Native to the Gulf Coast of the Southeastern United States, found from Mississippi to Georgia. It readily colonizes drainage ditches along highways throughout the gulf states.
History & etymology
First identified by Edgar T. Wherry in 1933 based on specimens collected in 1910 near Theodore, Alabama. Wherry suggested naming the variety in honor of Louis Burk. Donald E. Schnell formally described the taxon in 1993, but Robert Naczi, Frederick Case, and Roberta Case formally described it as a new species, *Sarracenia rosea*, in 1999.
Conservation
The species's native habitat is threatened by development, though it can colonize drainage ditches, which are threatened by DOT ROW spraying of miscellaneous herbicides.
Habitat
- Altitude
- 0–50 m
- Altitude Class
- lowland
- Native To
- United States
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- easy
- Temperature
- Summer 22–32°C / Winter dormancy 0–10°C
- Humidity
- 60–85%
- Notes
- Pink-flowered Gulf Coast species, often treated as subsp. of S. purpurea.
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