Carnivorous pitcher plants vanishing from Shealy’s Pond Heritage Preserve

By S.C. Dept. of Natural Resources

Published: September 12, 2010

There are several species of insectivorous plant species that grow in abundance at Shealy’s Pond Heritage Preserve in Lexington County, such as the yellow pitcher plant (Sarracenia flava), purple pitcher plant (S. purperea), and sweet pitcher plant (S. rubra). Or at least they used to do so in the case of the yellow pitcher.

S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) biologists began to notice recently a decrease in the number of pitcher plants along the ecotone or transition area between two adjacent but different plant communities around the mill pond. “We sampled the water in the pond during the fall of ‘09 and spring ‘10,” said Brett Moule, DNR Region 3 Wildlife Coordinator, “But so far, nothing has been identified.”  However, it was recommended by DNR’s chemist, David Ruff, to keep an eye on the bromide count because it was out of balance. This could be due to runoff from the treating of an adjacent road earlier during the cold weather. The mill pond was also sampled for potential runoff of contaminates or pollutants (pesticides) from adjacent properties.
Yellow pitchers can grow in dense colonies such as low-lying wet areas with sandy acid soil. In spring, it produces a large yellow flower, which pollinators can generally exist, and this ensures cross pollination. By late summer, the plant stops producing carnivorous leaves possibly due to lower light levels and insect scarcity during the winter months. Flies become victims of the pitfall trap when they seek potential food inside the “neck” connecting the tubular part of the pitcher. Once the fly enters the hollow leaf, it confronts a waxy surface leading to a pool of water. Bacteria living in the pitcher provide digestive enzymes.
Shealy’s Pond Heritage Preserve covers 62 acres in Lexington County and is centered on an old mill pond and associated wetlands on spring-fed Scouter Creek. More about Shealy’s at: https://www.dnr.sc.gov/mlands/managedland?p_id=74.