Q/A #91 - Sarracenia Scarlet Belle or Not?

QUESTION:
I was gifted a carnivorous plant at my my son’s funeral a year ago. I was told it’s a Scarlet Belle, but as I grows I’m not sure that’s correct. It is extremely important that I find out this plant’s exact ID. I live in Amarillo TX in zone 7A. I don’t want to leave it outside and it not be able to handle our weather changes. I have included a few pictures of this plant. I appreciate your time and thank you from the bottom of my heart for your help and knowledge! ?
(Submitted in May 2021.)

RESPONSE BY JACOB FARIN:
Based on your photo, I can confirm that your plant is Sarracenia Scarlet Belle. Unfortunately, it's suffering from lack of adequate sunlight. The telltale signs are long, thin pitchers, predominantly green coloration, and almost no red pigment. I know you're afraid of burning this plant in your Texan sun, but your plant can handle it. We have a friend in Phoenix who grows his Sarracenia in full sun, direct sunlight, throughout the year. He does not baby his plants, and they all grow well for him. 

Here are a couple of photos of Scarlet Belle grown at our nursery in Oregon, USDA zone 8:

Late Summer

Early Summer

I recommend growing your plant in full sun, a minimum of 6 hours of direct sunlight. You may see old leaves burning, but the new growth will compensate for their old foliage, and it will look far more impressive a year after it has made the transition. Since we're still early in the growing season, you can opt to cut all the old leaves before moving it to reduce stress from burning leaves. Cutting the existing leaves now will not harm your plant.

For more information about growing Sarracenia, read our general care guide. For details about winter care, read our digital download.

• The original question and response have been edited for publication.
• With a database of thousands of questions, we will post a Q&A every few days or so.
• To search for similar posts, click on a hashtag below or use the site's search function.
• To submit a carnivorous plant question, visit Ask the Growers.