Species · genus Sarracenia · Sarraceniaceae
Purple Trumpet-leaf
Sarracenia leucophylla Raf.
Also known as: Purple Trumpetleaf · White-trumpet · Crimson Pitcherplant · White Pitcher Plant · White-top Pitcherplant
Cultivars of S. leucophylla
The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.
No named cultivars catalogued under S. leucophylla yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.
Guide
The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.
The White Trumpet Pitcher
Sarracenia leucophylla, known as the white trumpet, is a semi-evergreen carnivorous perennial that forms slender, erect pitchers rather than ordinary leaves. It grows to about 90cm, with reddish-purple flowers around 8cm across opening in spring.
Source: RHS
A Native of the Southeast
This species belongs to the pitcher plant family, Sarraceniaceae, and its natural range lies in the south-eastern United States. Its cultivar 'Schnell's Ghost' is a selection bred within the species, notable for lacking the red pigment typical of the genus.
Source: RHS
Bright, Damp, Acidic
Grow this pitcher plant under glass in full light, sheltered from the hottest sun, and keep the acidic, moss-based potting medium consistently moist using lime-free water. Through winter it should be kept slightly drier, cool, and well ventilated, a rest during which it sheds some of its pitchers. In milder parts of the country it can also be grown outdoors, given full sun and shelter from cold winds.
Source: RHS
By Seed or Division
Sarracenia leucophylla is propagated by seed, while its cultivar 'Schnell's Ghost' is propagated by division in spring.
Source: RHS
Wavy White Hoods
The pitchers are narrow-winged and can reach up to a metre in length, topped with wavy white lids sometimes veined with purple. The cultivar 'Schnell's Ghost' is unusual for the genus in carrying no red colouring at all, its pitchers green with a white hood and green venation, and its solitary flowers yellow rather than reddish-purple.
Source: RHS
Watch for Common Invaders
Sarracenia leucophylla may be troubled by scale insects, mealybugs, aphids, and tortrix moth caterpillars. The cultivar 'Schnell's Ghost' is instead more likely to attract slugs, snails, and aphids. Both are generally free of disease.
Source: RHS
Minimal Pruning Needed
No routine pruning is required for this plant; simply remove dead leaves as they appear. It is suited to patio and container growing as well as conservatory or greenhouse cultivation.
Source: RHS
Care recipe
The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.
Care notes are early — not yet verified
- Light
- ai:claude-opus-4-8
- Water
- ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 1-3d)
- Humidity
- ai:claude-opus-4-8
- Soil
- ai:claude-fable-5
- Care
- ai:claude-fable-5
Direct sun
≈ every 3 days
High
5–30 °C
Lean peat and sand mix, no added fertilizer
Rhizome division or seed after cold stratification
None; captures its own insect nutrients
Moderate
Nodding spring flowers ahead of the white-topped pitchers
Not yet documented
This is where toxicity lives — every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.
Reference images
Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.
PrimarySources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 1-3d) · ai:claude-fable-5
Kept true by its growers
Every fact here carries its source. Grow Purple Trumpet-leaf yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — and a clear photo of your plant are exactly what keep this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.
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