visitors to a wild pitcher plant bog not located on an established trail. “This hike takes people to the one of the most diverse and vulnerable habitats within Gulf State Park,” says Assistant Naturalist Farren Dell. Exiting Interstate 10 to Perdido Key, visitors pass one of Florida’s grandest pitcher plant savannas, the Perdido Pitcher Plant Prairie at Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park. “The original 900 acres was purchased in April 1998 due to the efforts of the ‘Friends of the Prairie’ group,” says Park Ranger Mickey Quigley. “The effort was initiated to preserve not only the whitetopped pitcher plants but the many acres of wetlands that cleanse the water flowing into the bayou and bay.” The move also preserved this beauty spot from a planned development. An accessible boardwalk and two longer trails provide views of four species of pitcher plants, which flower with rubbery red blooms each April. Pitcher Plants at Home
“The novelty of the pitcher plant is what draws people the most to fill a soggy spot or a pot,” says horticulturalist John Parker, who works at The Garden Spot in Mandeville, La. Pitcher plants also thrive in raised beds where you can control soil and dampness. Bog plants require damp roots, poor nutrients, and full sun. A 50-50 soil mix of moss and sand is best and plants should be watered from below. Avoid mineralized water. The best water source is from rain collected in a rain barrel. Buying native species helps acclimate them to your yard. It’s best to contact local nurseries to ask for plants grown along the Gulf Coast. Taking wild plants is a no-no, both ethically and for the sake of species survival. Most pitcher plant species are endangered or threatened by loss of habitat, and they do not transplant well. As Master Gardener Michael Burke says, “The only time I could justify the removal of plant material by individuals from a natural environment would be if the land is about to be bulldozed for construction.”
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