Green pitcher plant  (Sarracenia oreophila)

The green pitcher plant has suffered a devastating decline throughout its former range. Development for both urban and rural uses has led to the widespread alteration of the specific bog habitat of this species (5). Pitcher plants have also been over-collected for the commercial plant trade; such exotic species are very popular with collectors (5). Today, around 34 naturally occurring populations persist but these are small and highly fragmented; most consist of fewer than 50 individuals (5).

Green pitcher plants are listed as Endangered on the United States Endangered Species Act and there is an Action Plan for their recovery (2). The Recovery Plan focuses on the effective protection of existing populations, as the most important threat to the future of the green pitcher plant is over-collection (5). Collection is banned by legislation within the States and also internationally by the listing of this species on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) (3). Ex-situ conservation measures are also in place; seeds are stored at the USDA National Seed Technology Laboratory in Fort Collins, and Atlanta Botanical Garden is propagating plants from seeds for future reintroduction programmes (5).