Feed Me, Seymour: The Giant Hooded Pitcher Plants of the Okefenokee Swamp

Check out the size of this Okefenokee Giant hooded pitcher plant (Sarracenia minor var. okefenokeensis) compared to my foot (size 6-7) that I pass on my frequent visits to the Red Trail out of Kingfisher Landing on the northeast side of the swamp! These beastly carnivorous plants grow larger than their landside counterparts and are a variety of their parent species, the hooded pitcher plant (Sarracenia minor). I've seen bigger pitchers than these, though most of the large specimens are around this size.

Exhausting their trapped prey through an almost impossible-to-escape pitcher (or sarcophagus, as described in early papers), a combination of enzymes and bacterial soup waiting below breaks down dead tissues for digestion and absorption. Gnarly! 🤘

To find these plants (look, don't pick!) in the Okefenokee Swamp, head to the prairies! They love the sunny marshes found on the east side of the swamp. They are numerous in most every prairie in the swamp, and can be found easily and abundantly on the Red Trail and Green Trail out of Kingfisher Landing, the Yellow Trail that leads to Cedar Hammock, the Pink Trail that leads to Monkey Lake/Buzzards Roost, and the Purple Trail in Chase Prairie that leads to Round Top.

I call this the "poster child" of the carnivorous plants of Okefenokee. There are many others in this wetland wonder, including other pitcher plants (yellow pitcher plants and parrot pitcher plants) and their hybrids, sundews, bladderworts, and butterworts. All have evolved to get supplemental nutrients from insect (and other!) prey as an adaptation of living in boggy, poor nutrient conditions. And all are totally amazing! I always have to stop to admire them on every exploration of the Land of the Trembling Earth.

Want a private tour to see these and many other species of carnivorous plants in the Okefenokee Swamp? We offer private guided paddling tours and traditional Swamper-style small boat tours in Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. Get in touch to book yours by emailing us at okeexpeditions@gmail.com!