California Pitcher Plant

Darlingtonia californica

The astounding botanical diversity of the Siskiyou Wild Rivers area of Southwest Oregon went largely unnoticed until 1960, when ecologist Robert Whittaker published his classic study: Vegetation of the Siskiyou Mountains, Oregon and California. Whittaker compared the botanical diversity of the Siskiyou Wild Rivers area to the southern Appalachian Mountains, crediting the region as having “central significance” for the floristic origins and diversity of Pacific Northwest flora.

The California pitcher plant, or Cobra Lily, (Darlingtonia californica), is a rare carnivorous plant of serpentine wetland communities. The serpentine soils present heavy metals that make it impossible for most plants to grow, but the Cobra Lily is one of the adapted species that lives within these “toxic” environments and finds its nutrients elsewhere. The California pitcher plant obtains nitrogen by decomposing insects captured in the pitcher-shaped leaves. The insects crawl into the pitcher through a downward-facing opening where they are then trapped by a barrier of downward facing hairs. The Darlingtonia secrets a proteolytic enzyme that breaks down and digests the captured insects.

Awareness of this very special area has grown since Robert Whittaker published his study in 1960, but there are still surprisingly few protections in place to preserve this national treasure for future generations of outdoor enthusiasts. The rare plants of the Siskiyou Wild Rivers area face ongoing threats from a variety of sources. Mining interests continue to press for the opportunity to remove minerals like nickel and gold from serpentine areas, which will devastate these fragile plant communities. Off-road vehicles also pose a threat to the area – tearing up sensitive habitat and spreading Port Orford cedar disease, which is threatening the very existence of one of the most beautiful, iconic trees of the region.

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