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Post by Flytrap on Aug 3, 2006 16:55:36 GMT -5
Here's a photo of a bug's view looking into one of the cobra pitchers. This particular pitcher is around 14" tall, and managed to evade the slugs that chomped on some of it's fellow pitchers. This plant originated from the sea level cluster of darlingtonias as a seed from a grower in Washington, and doesn't mind some of the warmer temperatures we have over here. Here's a photo of a seaside collection of darlingtonia in Oregon: I have another photo of the same darlingtonia bog and the pacific ocean in the background.
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Post by tom on Aug 3, 2006 17:21:41 GMT -5
I like the angle of the photo: the 'tongue' splitting the pitcher opening make it look like 2 eyes!
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Post by mabudon on Aug 4, 2006 8:02:37 GMT -5
Cool pics, man, I have never seen a Darlingtonia " in real life" and always wondered exactly what the "mouth" looked like, now I know- it is pretty much what I imagined, but visual confirmation is always good And that bog pic (or whatever the actual environment is called)- is it just me or is it really shady there?? It doesn't look like they'd get full sun there, at the least, curious
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Post by Flytrap on Feb 28, 2007 1:50:21 GMT -5
Update on my darlingtonias...
I had split up my colony into four giant rubbermaid tubs late last fall...with each tub hosting at least five mature plants, and the original tub still stuffed with small runners. With the wicked winter we had, it looks like at least three of the tubs of plants made it through. The tub that looks sick, had a major botrytis infection - mould. I think it started with the rotting carcasses of the bugs.
Anyways, I'll shoot some photos for you all to view. Right now they're all covered under a blanket of cedar needles, courtesy of the large conifers in my neighbourhood.
I hope to get a large collection of flowers...and thus... seeds for distribution later.
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Post by Flytrap on Feb 28, 2007 3:22:19 GMT -5
2007 update: Although this original post was about some wild darlingtonias, I thought I'd post some images of the ones I've been keeping for the past decade. Here's a pic of the tub of darlingtonias taken a few years ago: and here's a close up of one of the plants this morning:
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Post by lloyd on Feb 28, 2007 11:17:52 GMT -5
Very vigorous looking bunch of plants. Do you have to do anything special to keep the roots cool in the summer?
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Post by Flytrap on Feb 28, 2007 12:39:23 GMT -5
green parts in full sunshine, roots and everything else in the shade. As you can see from the white tub of cobras, they sit next to a fence. The fence provides a nice afternoon shadow onto the feet of the plants. And also note that the tub is white in colour... to reflect off the sun.
the lower picture shows the plants in a mess of cedar leaves... the pot is black, but the entire assembly is sunk into the ground as a heat sink.
Remember, the key to growing darlingtonias is to keep it's feet cool.
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Post by Rick Hillier on Feb 28, 2007 20:42:58 GMT -5
I have mine (obtained from David W.) in a 5-gallon aquarium on the lowest level of my three-tier fluorescent setup. They're growing in pure New Zealand LF sphagnum (the upper layer is alive and growing). The basement tends to remain fairly cool and the growing medium is very cool to the touch. The plants seem to be pleased in this setup. I've had them growing for over a year like this now and I should probably induce a dormant period, however, they're growing quite vigorously right now and I don't want to break their momentum.
When the time comes, I'll probably just throw the whole tank into the fridge for a few months and get them back out in May.
>>> Rick <<<
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Post by Flytrap on Mar 1, 2007 17:18:01 GMT -5
Here's a few more pics I shot this morning. Yup... we got another snow fall this week... so again, we've got to wait until the ground thaws out before I can make any serious trades with those of you I've been in communication with... the tall pitcher is 28" tall.So as you can all see, there's a short wall up against one side of the darlingtonia planting - on the south face, blocking out the sun, providing nice shade to the plants' lower parts (ie. roots) during the summer. I think the best thing about the winter on north american pitcher plants (both darlingtonia and sarracenia) is the blood red colour that appears during this time. Reminds me of maple leaves turning red during our fall. Thus, one of the benefits of our wonderful Canadian climate - as I know that our friends growing darlingtonia under an artificial cool environment can not always get this nice red colouring. It's just something that natural shortening days, daylight and cooler weather gives our outdoor temperate CPs. Just love those RED pitchers!!!!! ;D
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Post by lloyd on Mar 1, 2007 20:51:55 GMT -5
Very nice pictures with the snow contrasting the red pitchers. Definitely something special about plants growing outside.
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Post by martin on Mar 1, 2007 22:00:37 GMT -5
Very nice pictures, especially the last one! I had 3 Darlingtonia, even one that was shooting a flower stalk, and they all died on me
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Post by Flytrap on Mar 4, 2007 18:21:11 GMT -5
Thanks Lloyd/ Martin for your comments.
Martin - do you know what your plants died of? Sounds like they died during spring/summer, with the flower stalk... was it due to rot?
Despite all the bad press about Darlingtonias being difficult to grow, I find that our Canadian climate is exactly what these plants thrive in. So the secret is in how we look after them during our warmer months.... keep their feet cool.
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Post by lloyd on Mar 4, 2007 20:39:32 GMT -5
I had a really nice one from Home Depot, grew for years then I repotted it and it died. Root shock?
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Post by martin on Mar 4, 2007 23:16:09 GMT -5
David, lets see the autopsy report: 1- Subject died in mid-summer, maybe of overheating. Still, it was planted in LFS/perlite in terra-cotta pot. 2- Subject died in begining of summer, probably of root rot. It was planted in 8" plastic pot in LFS/perlite. I dug up the plant to save parts, but everthing died anyway, even the new runner that emerged that year. Had it for 2-3 years. 3- Subject died of negligence, forgot to water the poor thing...
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Post by lloyd on Mar 5, 2007 7:32:28 GMT -5
I wonder if we're guilty of herbicide?
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