Topic: Carnivorous Plants, anyone?

[plants n pots]

I've never grown any carnivorous plants successfully before... well...
I've really only tried Venus Fly Trap twice for very brief times.

So, Diane, aka Angelblossom, very generously sent me a GORGEOUS pitcher plant last week, chock full with numerous hanging healthy pitchers!!!



Isn't it fantastic???!!!
She had given this plant to her neighbor, but this neighbor is moving to Hawaii and gave it back to her - HOW LUCKY AM I???
This is a "baby" from Diane's mother plant - she surely knows what she's doing with it!!!

The neighbor had been growing it in her master bathroom.  I found a pot that matches the kids' bathroom yesterday, and it's now hanging in there by the window.  I'm not sure it will get enough light - I'll have to keep an eye on it, but I know for sure that it will get humidity, as no matter how many times we tell Amy to open the window a bit when she showers, she does not!

Don't you just love the colors of this plant???


Two years ago, I had gotten some carnivorous cuttings for Brian in a plant swap, for part of his college graduation gift, along with the best book for these plants - The Savage Garden, by Peter D'Amato.  Well... he's really not a plant person and they quickly died, but he still has the book - 4 hour's drive from me!!! :-\  I did a google search on the book, and found out that the author has a store in California - California Carnivores.   They have a terrific website, and I emailed them some questions, including the first picture of my new plant.  I was very pleased and surprised when the author, himself, emailed me back!!! He gave me some great info and was quite nice.

I'm posting a link to the slideshow on his website - if you've never seen pitcher plants before, or if you want to see some amazing plants, click here...

http://www.californiacarnivores.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=8

Anyone else grow these fascinating plants?

[Patty S]

Lynne, I LOVE that plant!   I can't keep stuff like that alive!  I've had those Venus Fly Traps that they sell at Walmart, but they never live past about 4 flys.  

I think I read somewhere recently that they should be outside, so maybe I've been doing it wrong.    What are you feeding that thing?

[Dianna]

That is a beautiful plant, Lynne! So different from the regular "run-of-the-mill" plants...

You are very lucky to get that from Diane. That was so sweet of her to send it to you...

I watched the video, too. It was amazing! I can't believe all the plants he had potted up in kiddie pools. That is a great idea. You could move the pool in and out of the shade as needed...

Beautiful plant, Lynne. If you ever want to get rid of it, you know my address! 

[jv]

Lynne Diane also gave me my first Pitcher Plant I now have two hanging on my porch when it is overcast and or raining I hang them  on a J hook so they can get plenty of water. Make sure they only get Rain or distilled water. Diane and I both feed ours Crickets and meal worms in the winter when they are in the house rest of the time they will catch their own bugs. Last year I saw some paper wasp go into one of mine and not come out plant is very healthy. My pitchers dried upon mine and now they are making new pitchers. Main thing outsiode of watering Ignore them that is what Diane and I both do. Good luck,

[littlebrat]

That plant is sooo pretty! I love the colors on it. They blend sooo well together.

[jv]

Just got these yesterday at Home Depot for a bargain all but one is supposed to be a Pitcher Plant. The first one is Drosera has one tiny Pitcher with two more forming.



Serracenia Purperpea  has Pitchers trying to form but none yet.

[jv]

Got this Venus Flytrap Dionaea has a lot of fully formed traps



Nepenthes Pitcher Plant has two Pithcers and three more forming. This and the Drosera has already caught something.



got these for $4.80 each. If you like these type plants check with you local HD. The photo's are after I transplanted them had to make up enough soil. Diane gave me a bunch already mixed plus enough ingredeiance to make up more soil.

[Patty S]

Good buy you got on those, Jimmy! I've tried some of those kinds of plants (several times) but I can't seem to keep them alive! What's your secret? 

[jv]

Rain or distilled water only and ignore them. My big ones are in full sun right now after it starts getting hot will bring them onto the porch to protect from the sun.

[Dianna]

I had a Venus Fly Trap years ago. It didn't live long. I gave it regular water, so I guess that is the reason...

I named it Igor...

[Bonnie]

That sure is an unusal and beautiful plant you have there.  I might have to try one.

I had a Venus Fly Trap years ago. It didn't live long. I gave it regular water, so I guess that is the reason...

Dianne, yours died because you tried to get it to eat the kids.

Bonnie

[jv]

Got this new Pitcher Plant today Sarracenia  Judith Hindle'  this is a good bogg plant. Both shots are the same plant. Notice how the Pitchers stand up.

[Dianna]

That is a really strange looking plant, Jimmy...

Where did you buy that one?

[jv]

Dianna I got it at Mikes garden city in Arlington. After the storms tonight it may have blown away.

[jv]

Here are some shots I got today of some of my Carnivorous plants. The first one is my Venus Fly trap in bloom. This is 1 bloom has 4 buds behind it fixing to bloom.



According to the tag this is a Sundew Drosera has small pitchers on it.

[jv]

Nepenthes Hybrid Tropical Pitcher plant.



Nepenthes Alata after third transplant into bigger pots this year.

[jv]

Nepenthes Alta has 18 pitchers the largest is 4 inch's  long has small one up in the plant



Nepenthes Alata has 22 pitchers the largest is 5 inch's long small ones up in the plant also.

[jv]

This is my own cutting off of the one Diane gave me last year shown above.



Nepenthes Alata another shot. ( I have 2 for over a year now they are the ones with all the Pitchers).

Hope you like these

[Patty S]

Jimmy, those plants are simply AWESOME!   

Are some of these the ones that you bought back in April?  I'm impressed when people can keep those things alive, cuz they've never worked for me.  I've never seen blossoms on a Venus Fly Trap before, but it's gorgeous! The pitchers on the Nepenthes plants boggle my mind (doesn't take much, though)!

Nice job!

[jv]

  Patty glad you like them. Yes all but the large Nepenthes with all the pitchers were bought in April. When the blooms on the VFT die back it will have tiny black seeds I will try and get them to start other plants. I don't have many bugs flying around my porch ants crawl in these and never come back out. My paper wasp are all gone. Today I watched a a bumble bee went into a pitcher on one of my large pitcher plants and a black hornet crawled into a pitcher on the other large plant. If I manage to get a bunch started I will probably trade seed here or sell them somewhere like Traders Village or a flea market. Seem's to be a demand for them here for some reason.

[Patty S]

It sounds like you have more than your fair share of bee-type bugs around there... no wonder carnivorous plants are in demand!

It amazes me that something so delicate looking actually does better out doors! It's pretty amazing too, that Mother Nature put a sneaky little twist like that in the food chain & made plants that eat bugs, cuz you mostly hear people fussing about the bugs that eat their plants! 

I might just look for a pitcher plant & see if I can keep one alive in my garden. It might get pretty healthy, with the bugs that seem to be moving in now! Do the pitcher plants make seeds too?

[Dianna]

I didn't know that VFTs bloomed! That is fantastic, Jimmy!

I ought to try again with the VFTs. We have so many bugs outside on the deck, it would be a living smorgasbord for them out there! 

The pitcher plants are so weird looking. I haven't found any around here, but have been keeping my eye out for them...

[jv]

VFTs are good for flies I keep seeing other bugs crawling all over them Mine I posted a photo of now has 3 blooms can't wait till they are all in bloom. Pitcher plants outside of what may be native in your area will be hard to find in local stores except in spring. Look for out of the way nurseries go in and look for their bog plants and go through them I have found a lot of them don't know a pitcher plant or any Carnivorous plant from any other bog plant. I went in Mikes looking for bog plants they don't carry them but I had already been told about where they were so i checked and sure enough they had about 30 Sarracenia's (Native to the South East). The workers didn't know what they were so I got them at half price.

[Patty S]

The workers didn't know what they were so I got them at half price.

See? It pays to know your plants!   Nice going Jimmy! I had to smile when I read that.

[Dianna]

by JV:

Pitcher plants outside of what may be native in your area will be hard to find in local stores except in spring.

I haven't been out really to look for the VFT, but I know they are here in these wetlands. I am surprised that they haven't grown out there in the front three acres as boggy as it gets sometimes.

I will look in Spring to see if I can find a pitcher plant. Those are really unique looking!