A couple young siblings from this cross I did 2 years ago. You can see one of the seedlings from this cross crack open start to root in the very last photo from this epic-super-neurotic-OCD-how-to-guide-on-starting-Sarracenia-seeds-post. Interesting to note some of the differences in these babies! One has a high hood with lots of frills, the other is a little more squat and compact with a shorter hood.
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Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Sarracenia purpurea heterophylla x “Green Monster”
Upright open hood
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Sarracenia purpurea heterophylla x “Green Monster” Upright open hood
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Sarracenia purpurea heterophylla x “Green Monster”
Shorter more compact hood
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Sarracenia purpurea heterophylla x “Green Monster” Shorter more compact hood
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Sarracenia (leucophylla “Purple Lips” x flava var. rubricorpora)
x ‘Adrian Slack’ A cross I did in 2012, showing off some nifty coloration!
This past weekend I had a chance to hang with one of the great growers that has been such an inspiration to me – the legend: Phil Faulisi. His plants never cease to amaze! Enjoy a few highlight photos and the slideshow below, or view the slideshow in fullscreen here! (Phil – thanks again for everything!)
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A visit to Phil’s Sarracenia Wonderland! 14 Sep 2014 (Also note, you can use your arrow keys to go back and forth… )
Hi all! I am still alive. Geez, has it really been over a month since I’ve posted anything up on here? Yeah, it has been a busy month so far – and now that dormancy is fast approaching, things in The Asylum will get even busier! Divisions, repotting, cleaning, and reorganizing are all things that I hope will be done while the plants are asleep. (By the way, you can always catch me on the Instagram – @rco911 – in between blog posts.)
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Before the photo updates, just a couple things worth mentioning…
- A core member of BAPP and dear friend… moved to Oregon. I’m currently babysitting Derek’s plants. For the time being, his plants and my plants are getting along and playing nicely.
- Mike Wang and I went on a lil’ Darlingtonia excursion earlier this month. Photos and video to be featured in a future post. You can read about *one* of the sites we visited in Mike’s post on the Sarracenia forums. Stay tuned for a future Darlingtonia update!
- Not plant related, but SF GIANTS ARE IN THE WORLD SERIES! AGAIN! YEAHHHHH!
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So anyyywayyyyyy… at this point in time, much of the greenhouse looks like this. Fugly.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Dormancy. Time to bust out that katana blade and slice through this madness soon.
BUT! There are still a few gems in that mess.
Although *most* of the Sarracenia pitchers are fading, things are still looking OK in the mini-greenhouse. This is a small 6 x 8 greenhouse with it’s own micro climate. Read more here. It’s more humid than the main house, and the temperatures seem to be a bit more stable. It does not get so hot in there during the day and (I am hoping) it does not get too cold in there during the winter. I can line this with bubble wrap and stick a small heater in there if need be during winter. I would not want to find myself stuck in the same cataclysmic-cold-snap situation like last year. See link above. Anyway, some of Derek’s plants have moved in here. So far, so good.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Inside the dome.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Nepenthes tiveyi “Red Queen” – from Kinjie Coe
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Nepenthes ventricosa x tiveyi – from Paul Barden
In the realms of Sarracenia – couple things still looking decent in the wreckage of burnt out foliage. I haven’t had a chance to photograph some of the leuco/leuco hybrids that are still OK but on their way out. Hope to provide an update on that later.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Sarracenia moorei “Orange Glow” x ‘Adrian Slack’ – one of my crosses from a few years ago. Still a young plant that I finally put in it’s own pot! Let’s see what that extra root space will do next season.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Sarracenia purpurea ssp. venosa – a cross between two different S. purpurea ssp. venosa clones by Mike Wang. I’m diggin’ the ruffles.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Stapelia in effect. Not a carnivorous plant, but boy does this mofo smell. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to experience this awesome odiferous wonder, Derek! OMFG does this thing staaank.
A few weeks ago Mike Wang and I visited various Darlingtonia sites in Curry Co., OR and Del Norte Co., CA. As always – I am truly thankful that I got a chance to roll with Mike again. It was truly an unforgettable experience. It was pretty much a year since we last visited Darlingtonia country. (Here’s a post to day one and day two from last year!)
We had to do some hiking to get to some of these sites. The trails (and LACK of trails) were quite steep and rugged in some places. Finding the Darlingtonia in these remote regions was definitely not easy, but the grueling trek felt like a very small price to pay to be able to witness the plants growing in their natural habitat. Oh and the scenery? <Insert expletives here.> OMG. Ridiculously good. Melt-your-face-off mind-blowingly beautiful.
I can’t adequately put into words just how outlandishly magnificent this experience was so I’ll stop trying and let you see for yourself. I strung together a few video clips and created some photo slideshows that are sorted by day below. There’s also a few highlight snapshots underneath all that. Enjoy!
Oh yeah, and if you haven’t already done so – please be sure to check out Mike’s posts of our Darlingtonia 2014 excursion here, here, here and here!
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Darlingtonia Video
9-11 Oct 2014 Various sites in Curry Co., OR and Del Norte Co., CA
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A few highlight photos follow below. To see all the photos from this Darlingtonia excursion, please view the photo slideshows above!
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Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.It’s pre 6am. I need to start this day off right. I need to start this trip off right.
It’s all about that PHILZ COFFEE!
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. The first patch of Darlingtonia that we stumbled across!
FCS Site – Curry Co., OR
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. The Wangster and I – FCS Site – Curry Co., OR
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Seedlings growing out of the water. FCS Site – Curry Co., OR
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. FCS Site – Curry Co., OR
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Above the fog at sunset. Curry Co., OR
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Fueling up before the gnarly hike.
The ravenous Mike Wang in action!
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Rugged and beautiful. Curry Co., OR
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. So scenic. That’s Mike in the photo to give you a sense of scale. Here we are hiking around looking for the Mountain Valley Meadow site.
Curry Co., OR
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Mountain Valley Meadow site – Curry Co., OR
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Mountain Valley Meadow Site – Curry Co., OR
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Mountain Valley Meadow Site – Curry Co., OR
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Mountain Valley Meadow Site – Curry Co., OR
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Summit – Curry Co., OR
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Haunting beauty. Curry Co., OR
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Some timelapse iPhoneography happening here.
An iPhone Gorillapod comes in handy.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Trailside Site – Curry Co., OR
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Mountain Creek Site – Curry Co., OR
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Mountain Creek Site – Curry Co., OR
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Mountain Creek Site – Curry Co., OR
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Roadside Site – Curry Co., OR
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Sphagnum. Sphagnum Site – Del Norte Co., CA
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Darlingtonia growing in sphagnum. Sphagnum Site – Del Norte Co., CA.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Skeleton. Sphagnum Site – Del Norte Co., CA
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Darlingtonia seed Pod. Sphagnum Site – Del Norte Co., CA
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Alpine Farms – Del Norte Co., CA
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Alpine Farms – Del Norte Co., CA
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Alpine Farms – Del Norte Co., CA
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Alpine Farms – Del Norte Co., CA
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Seedlings! Alpine Farms – Del Norte Co., CA
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Goldmine Site – Del Norte Co., CA
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Pinguicula macroceras growing vertically on a rock face! Goldmine Site – Del Norte Co., CA
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Goldmine Site – Del Norte Co., CA
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Mike admires the Darlingtonia growing vertically on the rock face. Goldmine Site – Del Norte Co., CA
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Site 734 – Del Norte Co., CA
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Site 734 – Del Norte Co., CA
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Site 734 – Del Norte Co., CA
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Site 734 – Del Norte Co., CA
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Site 734 – Del Norte Co., CA
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Site 734 – Del Norte Co., CA
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Young plant/seedling growing next to charred piece of wood. Site 734 – Del Norte Co., CA
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Brilliant yellow.
Site 734 – Del Norte Co., CA
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Check the mustache out on this bad boy. Site 734 – Del Norte Co., CA
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Site 734 – Del Norte Co., CA
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Site 734 – Del Norte Co., CA
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Left: My preferred footwear – hiking boots. Right: Mike’s preferred footwear – CROCS. My mind can not compute how hardcore Mike is to be able to even hike in friquen’ Crocs… CROCS! Seriously. Now that dude is a beast.
Eh… so my camera is currently in the shop getting some repairs. I should have it back sometime soon, just in time to capture more photos of… dead foliage. Heh Heh! Still, that won’t stop me from taking beloved plant photos. (You can always find me and more plant madness on Instagram too – @rco911!) Anyway, enjoy a few photos snapped by the mobile device. Cheers!
This last weekend I had an opportunity to nerd-out over carnivores at Drew Martinez’s place with fellow carnie-heads Mike Wang and Josh Brown. It was brilliant getting together with these fellow growers and talk plants. Hella (plant) nerd. With this time of the year, most of Drew’s Sarracenia were on their way out, but many plants still looked great. By the way – you can see Mike’s photos on his thread on The Sarracenia Forums here.
The amazing thing is — THIS. Yeah, click that link. Back in 2012 Mike, Josh and I helped put the greenhouses together and it was quite delightful to see the houses and yard packed. Drew and Selina – thanks again for your hospitality in hosting us carnivorous plant-dorks.
My camera and one of my lenses are still in the shop as noted in the last post, but special thanks to Drew for letting me use his camera body to let me snap a few shots!
View all photos in full screen here. A few highlight photos below!
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Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. DREW IS THE MAN.
Winter greetings all! I hope this finds you all well and that this winter season has been good to you and the plants. Now that it is winter and the plants are asleep, activity in The Asylum is ramping up. This winter season is a busy one indeed. I’ve been doing some cleaning, trimming, moving plants about, and even some sorting of seeds (Yeeessss, I know – many of you asked about seeds. And divisions. So stay tuned for that update…)
Here’s a small selection of photos from around the garden. First shot below is a doozy. What a complete mess this is. Yeah, I gots my trimming work cut out for me. Most plants have long since put away the glory of the season past. They are once again clothed in the sleep of crispy crunchy pitchers. Soon enough, this place will be bursting full of life again…
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Dormancy
And of course, my trusted garden helper – my katana, puts some work in…
Quick clip: Slicing through Sarracenia.
Sorry for the quality. Filmed in slow motion (120 FPS) on the mobile device.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Sarracenia oreophila section – all squared away.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Dionaea, Pinguicula, and Drosera (Drosera out of shot in background) cleaned and organized.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Dormancy: Sarracenia oreophila
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Sarracenia alata – maroon throat A few pitchers still hanging on.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Seedling: Sarracenia leucophylla x “Eva” pitcher still vibrant.
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And while the Sarracenias sleep, the Nepenthes crew bask in these cooler temperatures. Watching the Nepenthes and tropicals grow during the winter helps break up the monotony of all the lifeless pitchers. I like them ‘cuz you know, I always have to be growing… *something.*
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Nepenthes ventricosa x tiveyi
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Nepenthes thorelii x aristolochioides
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Nepenthes (eymae x (stenophylla x lowii)) x trusmadiensis
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.And finally – back home is the grow tank. I turned an unused 50 gallon tank into a refuge for some Heliamphora, Cephalotus, Nepenthes, a Pinguicula and Drosera. There’s a variegated vanilla orchid growing in the corner and a mounted staghorn fern (Platycerium coronatum) that was not taking too well to the cooler temps in the greenhouse. Be looking for updates from the grow tank in the future.
I was down in SoCal last week on vacation with the fam – and of course for me it’s not a vacation-vacation if it doesn’t involve plants. Yeah, all you fellow plant-nerds know what I’m talking about. Anyway, I’m thankful that I was able to connect with fellow carni-phile – Kuya Rod Quebral. (“Kuya” in Filipino being a sign of respect for an older brother.) Rod has an absolutely fantastic collection and I just had to hit him up for a visit. It was also pretty nifty seeing just how big the plants that I’ve sent him in the past have grown.
Down in southern California, the weather is much warmer than my spot. Dude. I was actually sweating on this warm winter day! That makes for an interesting dormancy schedule for the plants down there. Keep in mind that Rod’s plants are all dormant. Still – there were still a few late season pitchers that were still looking brilliant. A refreshing and beautiful sight for me to see!
Garden of Quebral
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Kuya Rod, Thank you again for taking the time to show me around your amazing collection. Also, thank you for your hospitality! I hope to return again to witness the plants in their glory of active growth. Maraming salamat!
Greetings all! I hope you’ve had a great start to the new year so far. My wish is that you, your loved ones and your plants will find happiness and health all throughout this coming year. Things are quite busy on this end with winter clean up. All this in preparation for the growth that will soon follow. The Sarracenia in The Asylum are all brown and crispy and pot-by-pot, table-by-table… slowly they are getting their shave on. Winter fun, yes? I’m about to burn them all down… Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Yet, with all the dead foliage that surrounds me, I’m still growing things. A few plants (both carnivorous and non-carnivorous) around the greenhouse are doing well. I have a few plants in my office cubicle that keep me company whilst I’m at the office. And YES – I’m still tinkering around with the Nepenthes. Remember this last year? Ugh. Sheeeyaaatttt…. I hope to do better this year. And so far, so good. That greenhouse-within-a-greenhouse (woooah, that’s so botanically Inception-y) is doing wonders for them. Man, those things are so fascinating and beautiful. They give me something to grow while the rest of my botanical world is not as green. I still have the tank going on that I referenced at the end of this post. I’ll update you with a few photos in my next entry, so stay tuned for that. In the mean time, here’s a handful of frames of what’s been going on in The Asylum.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.This is my winter-ish-zen moment. Yeaaa, gettin’ this mo-fo cleaned up. For the most part, this is my view – carting out dead pitchers, weeds, and old media wheelbarrow load by wheelbarrow load. Oh joy, oh rapture! It’s such a cleansing experience!
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Thought this was pretty cool, a few of the S. alata “Maroon Throat” pitchers still looking quite nifty!
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Another angle of those S. alata “Maronon Throat” pitchers.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. S. alata “Red Mustache” with a couple of pitchers. Don’t mind that mess in the background.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.The flytraps now all spiffy and ready for the growing season.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Ah, you know. a small pitcher of S. ‘Reptilian Rose’ x (flava var. rubricorpora x leucophylla) – Clone 8 just hangin’ out in that mess of dead pitchers…
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.S. leucophylla “Purple (kinky) Lips” and her burning-out phyllodia tips. The traps normally do not form that way, it just happened that this one opened weird for some reason and ended up looking… kinky.
This year promises to be a pretty good one! There’s a few things in the works, and some neat crosses that will be sown soon. And YES, I hope to have some plants/rhizomes available in the shop once I’m able to get a little more organized. (Right now, there’s still a few seeds available… check it out) I’ll post some photos from the Nepenthes house as well as photos from the grow tank in the next post. In the mean time, I’m off to the next table… Woohoo!
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Off to the next table…
While most of the plants currently in their winter slumber, I’m keeping myself occupied by growing a few other plants. At my place, I keep a 50 gallon tank filled with a few Nepenthes, Cephalotus, Heliamphora, and a few other things. In The Asylum, I have a smaller greenhouse that I partially bubble wrapped for insulation. That’s where I have a few tropicals just hangin’ out. Here’s a few shots from both of those worlds.
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First off a few shots from The Tank.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.The Tank. It is lined with something shiny. Because I like shiny things. And the light makes the plants happy. Yes. Also, notice the 10″ x 20″ trays with the fluorescent egg crate cover that I trimmed over those trays. Excess water drains into the trays after I water the plants, and the crate keeps the plants from sitting in the water while that drainage water contributes to the the lovely humidity in the tank.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Cephalotus follicularis
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.From the Powazek collection: Cephaltous follicularis growing in a hanging teardrop planter. Brillant.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Speaking of hanging things, I have a recovering Platycerium coronarium that didn’t like how cold it was getting in the greenhouse, so I moved it here. Seems to like it as it’s putting out new growth.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Pinguicula mesophytica bloom.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.A young Nepenthes hamata pitcher.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Left: young Nepenthes hamata pitcher. | Right: young Nepenthes burkeii x hamata pitcher.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Drosrea regia vs. moth.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Nepenthes singlana Tujuh x hamata – Red Hairy Form… Beast!
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Nepenthes singlana Tujuh x hamata – Red Hairy Form – check out the red/orange fuzz! Sweet!
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.New pitcher recently opened of Nepenthes singalana Tujuh x hamata – Red Hairy Form.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.New pitcher recently opened of Nepenthes singalana Tujuh x hamata – Red Hairy Form – a closer shot of the same pitcher above.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.I did a few Heliamphora divisions and some reside in the tank and are adjusting quite well! This is Heliamphora heterodoxa x minor. The older pitchers look crappy but the new pitchers are coming up quite nicely.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.A recently opened pitcher of Nepenthes robcantleyi! YEAH! I’ve had this for years and it has never really grown well for me. After moving it into the tank, it immediately let me know it was happy with these new conditions.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Nepenthes robcantleyi. Ugh, that peristome tho. So magnificent. I can’t wait for this baby to put out larger pitchers! The whole pitcher will color up as it gets more mature. Seriously love this plant.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Here’s what I use for some air movement inside the tank – an Evercool computer fan. I currently have one on the left side of the tank but I’m planning to add another on the right side for better air movement.
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And now – a few shots from inside the partially bubble-wrap clad greenhouse inside the greenhouse. (So bontanically inception-y, eh?)
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.The Nepenthes/Tropical house.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Nepenthes lowii x campanulata
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Nepenthes thorelii x aristolochioides
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Nepenthes “Eglantine”
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Nepenthes burbidgeae x platychila
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Nepenthes – Poi Dog Hybrid
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Nepenthes Poi Dog – Maxima Hybrid
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Nepenthes platychila – new pitcher steadily growing.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Young pitcher of Nepenthes densiflora x glandulifera
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Nepenthes ((eymae x (stenophylla x lowii)) x x trusmadiensis)
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Nepenthes spectabilis x singlana
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Nepenthes jamban – check out the pitcher in the back.
There’s a slug going for a swim in that pitcher.
I found it that way.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Another angle of Nepenthes jamban – you can see the slug a little better in there.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Nepenthes “Enigma”
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Had to throw a bromeliad up in here… (A type of Aechmea, not sure what the species is. You bro experts let me know what it is!)
Things are moving along here in The Asylum! There’s still a lot of trimming and clean up to do – but there are signs of life.
The rains in months past have washed all of the whitewash from the greenhouse roof. Plus it has been relatively sunny and warm. And it is even warmer under glass. Interesting note: I notice that the plants that I haven’t trimmed back have not really begun to wake up yet. I suspect because the pitchers shade out the rhizomes from the sun keeping them cooler and dormant for just a little longer. Growth is inevitable though. The cycle is starting again and soon The Asylum will be engulfed in growth and vibrant color.
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Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Sarracenia oreophila
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Sarracenia oreophila
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Sarracenia alata
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Sarracenia alata
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Sarracenia ‘Adrian Slack’
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Sarracenia ‘Adrian Slack’ This was a back end rhizome cutting. Notice the little nubs of new growth.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Sarracenia “Legacy”
As seen in this previous post, my young Nepenthes robcantleyi has finally put out a decent pitcher in the new tank conditions. It’s been a while since I last tinkered around with the 254nm short wave UV light as seen with the Red Queen here, and some other Nepenthes here; so I wanted to try it out with this new pitcher. I ran a 90 second exposure to really get the glow to show. The resulting shot was hauntingly beautiful.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Nepenthes robcantleyi under 254nm UV Light.
90 second exposure, f 9.0, 50mm. Mouse over to see the plant in normal light.
This last weekend, I had the privilege of visiting Josh Brown – owner of Predatory Plants and Bay Area Carnivorous Plant Society president! If you want to add some great plants to your collection, be sure to visit Josh’s store: Predatory Plants. He has a fantastic collection and I couldn’t help but just be mesmerized by all of that carnivorous botanical wonder at his place. Enjoy the slideshow as well as a few highlight snapshots down below!
Josh – thanks for the tour and for sharing your amazing collection with me. Keep up the brilliant work… by the way – now I want to grow ant plants! Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
February, so far, is looking pretty fab. Thanks to the warm January, much of the crop has been moving at a very fast speed. There are plenty of buds to be found all over the place, a few open pitchers, and… seeds germinating! Enjoy a few snapshots from the past couple of weeks.
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Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.The seeds (from 2013!!) have been sown! Yes, you read that right. These have been sitting in cold stratification for a year. A couple of weeks ago, my wife and the kiddos helped pot up all 202+ crosses. It was an extremely busy year for me last year and by the time I was ready to put them down, the year was half way over. I didn’t want to use supplemental lighting as with this many seeds, as that electric bill would just be nuts. Now that I finally have a little more space, I was able to finally put these down.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.And guess what? Many pots have seeds that have are sprouting! Exciting! The one in the photo is S. purpurea heterophylla x leucophylla “Red” – these came from Jerry Addington and should produce a brilliant crop of anthocyanin free recessive plants to work with in the future.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.The Asylum. Check out the Sarracenia alata flowers already opening up! And check out that other half of the greenhouse that needs trimming! Heh!
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.A few more Sarracenia alata buds about to pop!
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.One of my crosses from a maybe 3 or so years ago. This is S. ‘Alucard’ x ‘Adrian Slack’ glowing with the sun hitting it from behind. Notice one of last year’s autumn pitchers compared to this year’s larger spring pitcher. What a jump! You can see tell-tale signs of what the plant would be like from last year’s pitcher. However, with this year’s pitcher, you can see much more character shine through! The unknown of what comes out of the cross and how that plant matures is part of the excitement that comes with growing from seed. Anyway, I’ll post another photo later on so you can get a better view of this year’s most recent pitcher from this cross.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Sarracenia ‘Reptilian Rose’ x (flava var. rubricorpora x leucophylla) – Clone 14. New pitcher coloring up against last year’s wreckage. Cross by Dr. Travis H. Wyman.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Sarracenia ‘Reptilian Rose’ x (flava var. rubricorpora x leucophylla) – Clone 9 Cross by Dr. Travis H. Wyman
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Another one of my crosses – Sarracenia leucophylla “Purple Lips” x flava var. rubricorpora x ‘Adrian Slack’ – new pitcher opening up!
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Sarracenia oreophila, awake and ready to devour insects!
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Sarracenia oreophila
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Sarracenia alata – Anthocyanin Free! A new pitcher stands out against last year’s crispy dead pitchers.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Young pitchers stretch towards the sky. Sarracenia flava var. rubricorpora x flava ‘Suspicion’ – an anthocyanin free recessive cross. This cross was done by Aidan Selwyn. I hope to use these AF recessive S. flava plants in future (anthocyanin free) crosses.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Ok, ok, ok… I’m totally geeking out here. This is a flower bud of an anthocyanin free form of S. flava – Colquitt Co., GA. YEAH. You know what this means… Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
One of my cephalotus has been behaving a little… well, different. I guess it just felt like putting out this really bright white pitcher! I did some Google-ing and apparently it does happen every now and then. I don’t really know what causes it. The pitcher doesn’t appear to be dying as it’s not looking withered or anything. It’s been inflating and is now starting to open up. My guess is that it may get some more color on it later on – as in maybe a redish peristome? I’ll just keep a watch over it and hope it doesn’t die on me!
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.The pitcher on the left was recently produced – and it is a division from the plant on the right. The plant on the left has a ghostly pale pitcher that just came outta nowhere! Both have been growing in my grow tank for the past few months, and both get the same amount of light. The one on the left has non-carnivorous leaves that are green, as well as some green little pitchers too. Then that thing just happened. Hmmpff… Go home Cephalotus, you are drunk!
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Cephalotus follicularis – white pitcher
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Cephalotus follicularis – white pitcher
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Sarracenia ‘Legacy’
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Carnivorous Plant Newsletter – March 2015
Today I received my copy of the March 2015 Carnivorous Plant newsletter! YAY! If you haven’t already done so, become a member of the International Carnivorous Plant Society to get your copy of quarterly carnivorous plant newsletter goodness. In this issue, a plant that I hold near and dear to me has been registered and published. Sarracenia ‘Legacy’ is now an official cultivar! I can not take the credit for this plant though. This was a cross that was done by Brooks Garcia, and I grew S. ‘Legacy’ out from that 2008 seed batch. (Brooks, thank you so much for sharing your creativity and passion with the world!) Something brilliant was bound to come out of the combined bloodline of S. ‘Leah Wilkerson’ x ‘Adrian Slack’. I’m thankful that I was fortunate enough to receive the seed that this plant came out of. This is the first plant that I’ve submitted and registered. Although my purpose of growing these plants is to enjoy them, I am hoping that some of my own creations would produce cultivar quality plants. And who knows, maybe some of those will be registered in the future. (Note: see past post The Name Game.)
Sarracenia ‘Legacy’ – published in the International Carnivorous Plant Newsletter – March 2015 issue. – Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Sarracenia ‘Legacy’ – back cover
Sarracenia ‘Legacy’ Submitted: 24 September 2014
Sarracenia ‘Legacy’ is a cross of S. ‘Leah Wilkerson’ × S. ‘Adrian Slack’ produced by Brooks Garcia in 2008, which I grew out from seed. Out of a very small handful of seeds that Brooks sent to me that year, I was only able to germinate two seedlings. Sarracenia ‘Legacy’ was the only plant to survive and grow from that particular batch.
I coined the name Sarracenia ‘Legacy’ in 2012. The word “legacy” refers to a gift, or something of value passed on from one generation to another. The name is derived from a combination of factors. Sarracenia ‘Legacy’ commemorates the individuals the parent plants are named after, as well as their work with the furtherance and cultivation of this majestic genus. “Legacy” also pays homage to the influence that the parent plants have, and will continue to have on Sarracenia cultivation for generations to come. On a more personal note, the name also pays tribute to those who have inspired me in my botanical endeavors. I am deeply thankful for the botanical passion, vision, and drive that has been passed into my life by so many wonderful individuals.
Young pitchers start off predominantly greenish, with traces of white in the upper portion. As pitchers mature under intense light, the white top portion of the pitcher intensifies and spreads, and a strong prominent dark red splotch develops in the throat. These features have been stable in both outdoor and greenhouse conditions. The pitchers of Sarracenia ‘Legacy’ typically attain a height of 60-75 cm however larger pitchers have been observed. Blooms are yellowish-cream with light hints of pink on the sepals. This plant should be reproduced only by vegetative means to ensure that its unique characteristics are maintained.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Sarracenia ‘Adrian Slack’ flower
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Pollination Tools
It is that time of year again when blooms are exploding all over The Asylum and I can’t help but dream about all the possible pollination combinations. I actually did my first cross earlier last week. I selfed S. ‘Adrian Slack’. Now I don’t know if I will get any seed as I can’t seem to use S. ‘Adrian Slack’ as a pod parent. I know of a couple other growers who have the same issue. It could be a number of factors but this still won’t stop me from trying to use it as a pod parent whenever I have the opportunity. At least I’ve used the pollen in years past with great success. I actually already had a few blooms in play before the S. ‘Adrian Slack’ bloom opened up. The first ones to open up this year were the S. alata plants, then the S. oreophila plants soon after. I could of went to town starting with those but I really am trying to be more disciplined with what I cross now. (At least until I either retire – or work with this plant thing full time. Ohhh dayumn. You better watch out then!) Plus… this year I kinda need to catch up with this trimming and repotting of the other plants anyway. Now, this doesn’t mean that I won’t do any crosses this year; it just means that I won’t do as many. Maybe. Yeah… I tell myself this every year but let’s see if I actually stick with it this time around.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Sarracenia ‘Adrian Slack’ pollen
The shot above is how I collect/store the pollen. I simply use disposable shot glasses and then cover with another shot glass. Next I store it in the fridge. Any similar type of container will work just fine. I usually use up the pollen within a month or so. I’ve gone up to about two months using fridge-stored pollen with success and have never needed to really go beyond that. I have heard freezer stored pollen can last longer, but I’ve never tried it.
How about that pollen tho, isn’t it sexy? Doesn’t it turn you on?! I mean, what would you throw this pollen on? Storing pollen gives me great flexibility and allows me to plan for potential pollinations. Good times! (By the way, for more pollen posts check out these past entries: here is one from 2013, and another nerdy entry from 2010. 20-freakin-10! )
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.A recently opened pitcher of Sarracenia ‘Vintner’s Treasure’. The color will intensify and deepen to a very rich deep maroon/purple as the pitcher ages.
A Phil Faulisi creation – more information on this wonderful cultivar can be found on the ICPS website.
