Sarracenia flava seedling in the third year from seed. The largest pitcher is about 16 cm tall. This is an all-green variant.

Sarracenia flava is found in open boggy areas of the southeastern coastal plain of the USA, from Alabama to Virginia. Typical S. flava has green tubes, lids that start green and turn yellow, and a red blotch at the back of throat. There are a number of color variants including veined, heavily veined, red tube, all red, all green, copper lid, and combinations of these. Please see Donald Schnell's CPN article describing the color variants for more information. The color variants tend to not breed true. Color variants require full sun to be fully apparent.

This species produces pitchers only in the spring. It produces phyllodia (pitcherless leaves) in late summer. The flowers are bright yellow and tend to have a musky "feline" odor.

Adult plants enjoy full sun outdoors. They require seasons in order to survive long term. Typical summer temperatures where they grow naturally are in the mid 30's C (90's F). Winter temperatures can be below freezing at times. However seedlings make excellent terrarium plants without winter dormancy for up to two years.

For producing seeds and growing seedlings, you may use the general guidelines for growing Sarracenia from seed. S. flava does well in either sphagnum or peat mixes. The plants should always be sitting in pure water when they are growing. They should be top-watered regularly to maintain the oxygen levels for the roots and to keep salt levels down in the soil.