Tall, gracefully tapered green cylinders sport white flags adorned with pink veins on this cultivar of carvniverous pitcher plant. The "flags" draw insects near enough to discover the watery fluid at the base of the cylinder. Alas, it is a one-way trip as slanted hairs covering the inside of the cylinders prevent insects from escaping while digestive enzymes in the deceptively water-like fluid dissolve all of the insect tissues except for the chitinous exoskeleton.

Pitcher plants thrive in full sun on hummocks in acidic bogs where their ability to obtain nitrogen and other essential elements provide an ecological advantage over their competitors. Despite their wetland origins, they all require a dormancy or rest period in order to thrive in cultivation. For temperate species, this is met by cooling temperatures in winter whereas tropical species depend upon a decrease in rainfall.