Story behind the art of Betsy Rogers-Knox

Curious Allies: Mutualism in Fungi, Parasites, and Carnivores

The Fifth New York Botanical Garden Triennial

Pitcher Plant and Friends

Sarracenia purpurea, Cephalanthus occidentalis, Lythrum salicaria, Chelone gabra

Although the purple pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpurea) featured in this in-situ illustration is not endangered in Connecticut, it can be difficult to access. The bit of habitat portrayed is in northwest Connecticut along the southwest shoreline of Leonard Lake, a 20 acre body of water in the hamlet of South Kent, which I reached by kayak. Although not a bog, (which is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials, usually mosses), its wet spongy, marshy ground supports a biodiverse botany resembling that found in a bog. Serpentine water channels winding through this marshland allowed me ample opportunity for exploration and close-up sketching and photography.

The remarkable shape and unusual carnivorous nature make the pitcher plant an enticing subject, and including the unique surrounding ecosystem provides it with a sense of place. I also describe three other inhabitants: purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), turtlehead (Chelone glabra), and buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis).

The purple pitcher plant is a low-growing herbaceous perennial with short, stout leaf traps displaying a green to burgundy color and showing red veins in sunlight. The “pitchers” are specialized leaves that grow in a funnel shape. The plant is quite hardy and thrives in damp, acidic, nutrient-poor soil. It receives most of its nutrients through carnivorous prey captured within the pitcher shape. Insects such as flies, ants, spiders, and even moths and hornets are lured by a sweet-smelling nectar. They are digested by enzymes, often in a soupy rainwater mixture collected at the bottom of the pitcher, creating the nutrients for the plant. It’s a standout plant, even in a crowded environment. Sarracenia purpurea produces solitary flowers at the top of a scape (stem) eight to 15 inches tall. The flower resembles a thick, flat disc encircled by maroon petals.

Loosestrife is easily spotted as it can grow quite tall and form a colony of numerous erect stems growing from a single woody root mass. Multiple showy violet flowers provide an important source of nectar which attracts many insects, especially bees, ensuring cross-pollination between plants. However, it is not native and is considered a noxious week across the northeastern US, and is especially invasive in wetlands. It is illegal to sell the plant in several states, and efforts are being made to find a natural control to stop its spread.

The herbaceous turtlehead species is native to North America. Its common name comes from the appearance of its white flowerhead which resembles the head of a tortoise (“chelone” is Greek for tortoise). Like its neighbors it thrives in wet areas. It’s the primary plant on which the Baltimore checkerspot butterfly will lay its eggs, is a food source for sawflies and flea beetles, and is also a popular browse plant for deer.

The buttonbush, another native species plant suited to wet soils, draws ducks and other waterbirds and shorebirds to consume its seeds. Easily identifiable by its ball-shaped blooms, it’s very attractive to hummingbirds and various insect pollinators including butterflies.

The dense marshscape also contains abundant grasses, ferns, and a small patch of carnivorous sundew along the water’s edge. And it’s not uncommon to spot agile-moving dragonflies, also carnivorous, competing for the same insects as the plants.

I completed this painting after several visits to the site by kayak and sketching numerous line drawings of the plant subjects on tracing paper. My photographs also assisted me with the final composition, and I used a variety of watercolor techniques, including wet washes, drybrush, and masking.

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Read more about this artist's work: 26th Annual