pitcherplant

Sarracenia ×ahlesii C.R.Bell & Case

This naturally occurring pitcher-plant hybrid brings together characters of Sarracenia alata and the red-flowered Sarracenia rubra group. Bell and Case described it in 1956 from Alabama material. Its erect, tubular leaves measured 12–45 cm tall, with green or yellow-green surfaces becoming maroon-shaded toward the upper parts. Bell and Case (1956), Natural hybrids in the genus Sarracenia

Botanical name

Kew accepts Sarracenia ×ahlesii C.R.Bell & Case as S. alata × S. rubra. A 2015 revision uses the narrower parental name S. alabamensis subsp. wherryi for the rubra-side parent. Kew Plants of the World Online: Sarracenia ×ahlesii Neyland, Bushnell and Tangkham (2015), An updated taxonomic treatment of the natural hybrids of Sarracenia

Recognizing the plant

The pitcher gradually widens toward its opening. A narrow wing runs down its front and is broadest below the middle. The nearly upright hood is oval with a long point, about 1.5–3.5 cm wide, finely hairy inside and smooth outside. Flower stalks equal or exceed the leaves. The faintly sweet-scented flowers have green sepals tinted maroon and broad-tipped petals that are yellow-green inside, yellow with stronger maroon shading outside. The expanded style disk measures about 2–2.5 cm across. Bell and Case (1956), Natural hybrids in the genus Sarracenia

Bloom window

Southwestern Alabama, 1955 field observation

The original authors observed flowering in Alabama in April 1955; this is a historical local record, not a complete seasonal calendar. Bell and Case (1956), Natural hybrids in the genus Sarracenia

Native range

The verified natural range is southwestern Alabama. The original type came from a wet meadow in Washington County. A subsequently reviewed Mississippi collection was reassigned to a different hybrid, so it does not establish a Mississippi population of this taxon. Kew Plants of the World Online: Sarracenia ×ahlesii Bell and Case (1956), Natural hybrids in the genus Sarracenia Neyland, Bushnell and Tangkham (2015), An updated taxonomic treatment of the natural hybrids of Sarracenia

Botanical sources

Reviewed 2026-10-11. Seasonal development varies with location and growing conditions.