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Pitcher Plant Question

Started by Michael Wolfe , Mar 17 2007 10:46 PM

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15 replies to this topic

#1 Michael Wolfe

Board of Directors

North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage

Posted 17 March 2007 - 10:46 PM

Laura I hope you are out there for a few questions about my pitcher plant... here is a picture of the white lace pitcher that I got from you a few years ago....

pitchers1.JPG 93.02KB 0 downloads
...as you can see from the picture below, I have been keeping it in a rather tall pot (11") in a bucket... trying to always keeep some water in the bucket (but sometimes it got dry).

pitcher_plant.JPG 154.87KB 0 downloads
So today when I set up my outdoor tanks, I thought that I could do a better job of keeping the pot wet, but putting it in the pond. So will this work or is this too wet for the pitcher?

DSCF1220.JPG 443.86KB 0 downloads
Second question... what is this thing growing on the pitcher plant... doesn't look like a regular leaf nad doesn't look like a pitcher.

DSCF1218.JPG 815.14KB 0 downloads

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin

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#2 Guest_fundulus_*

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Posted 18 March 2007 - 10:29 AM

Could the "thing" growing out be a flower spike? Not that I know about pitcher plants...

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#3 Guest_Histrix_*

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Posted 18 March 2007 - 07:23 PM

The bulbous protrusion is a budding flower. Regarding the potting situation, I would take it out of the pond and add a nice, thick layer of live Sphagnum to the pot, or at least a little peat. That should retain the moisture a little better and contribute to the acidic conditions these plants enjoy.

BTW, your plant is gorgeous. I've always had a thing for carnivorous plants

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#4 Michael Wolfe

Board of Directors

North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage

Posted 18 March 2007 - 08:34 PM

As you can see from the first pictures... I have had nice 'pitchers' for a couple of years... and as you can also see, I do not have any yet... every year I just put the bucket in the garage, and leave it there until it gets warm again. This year, I brough it in late (and lost the top of the pitchers to frost)... and have been able to take it back out early (so some of the base of the 'leaves' are still green)... but in all that time, I have never seen anything like a flower... what is it going to look like?

As far as taking it out of the pond... I thought this was a bog plant... so it should like having 'its feet wet'... shouldn't it?

The bulbous protrusion is a budding flower. Regarding the potting situation, I would take it out of the pond and add a nice, thick layer of live Sphagnum to the pot, or at least a little peat. That should retain the moisture a little better and contribute to the acidic conditions these plants enjoy.

BTW, your plant is gorgeous. I've always had a thing for carnivorous plants

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin

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#5 Guest_nativeplanter_*

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Posted 19 March 2007 - 08:14 AM

Ding ding ding ding ding!!! You have a flower bud! Pitcher flowers open upside down and are really cool. The petals on this species are pink, if I remember correctly. The flower buds appear before new leaf (pitcher) growth begins in the spring.

The plant does like wet feet, but you need to elevate it up a bit. If the pot is 11" tall, I'd have maybe the lower 2-3" in the water. The water will wick up the peat towards the top. The water depth can be even less if you are sure it won't dry out too often. Thankfully, the species is a little forgiving in that aspect. It will also tolerate periods of time being more submerged, but not permanently.

Looks like you're taking good care of it Michael!

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#6 Guest_viridari_*

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Posted 19 March 2007 - 08:24 AM

Do a google image search for pitcher plant flower and it will give you a good idea of the structure of what to expect (though the color will likely vary from what you find there).

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#7 Guest_Histrix_*

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Posted 19 March 2007 - 09:01 AM

As far as taking it out of the pond... I thought this was a bog plant... so it should like having 'its feet wet'... shouldn't it?

It should definitely have its feet wet, but not actually be submerged in the pond. The 2-3" that nativeplanter suggested should be fine.

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#8 Guest_farmertodd_*

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Posted 19 March 2007 - 09:48 AM

http://www.farmertod...ng2006/conecuh/

The flower will look like Conecuh_NoIdeaX.jpg (1 & 2)

I've got some better pictures of them (and an exotic patch of venus fly trap from south of Tallahasee) but I haven't moved them anywhere online yet. Took some video of the fly traps closing as well. Fun fun fun!

Todd

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#9 Guest_Histrix_*

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Posted 11 April 2007 - 04:09 PM

Here's a photo that I took of our local pitcher (Sarracenia purpurea) at the Matthei Botanical Gardens recently. Thought you might enjoy

PitcherPlant.jpg 150.01KB 0 downloads

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#10 Guest_gerald_*

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Posted 12 April 2007 - 09:19 AM

i'm farther north than you (wake forest NC) and i leave my pitchers outside year-round, including white-top pitchers. mine live in a 5' diam wading pool, pots set on bricks so that the lower 1/4 to 1/2 of each pot stays submerged. the old leaves get pretty ragged by spring, but freezing doesnt kill the plant, and i cut the old leaves off anyway to make room when new leaves emerge. the petals drop off soon after flowering, but the sepals and umbrella-shaped stigma remains and forms a cup to catch the seeds when the capsule splits open in late summer/fall. they lie in this cup until wind or water disperses them - thats why the flower hangs upside down. its not just their bug-eating habits that are so fascinating! BTW if white-tops get too much nutrients they quit making pitchers - only flat leaves. nativeplanter solved this mystery for me at the '04 convention.

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#11 Guest_Kanus_*

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Posted 12 April 2007 - 09:24 AM

Is anyone else wondering if that grass growing around the pitcher picture by Histrix is dwarf hairgrass? Hmmm...I want some!

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#12 Guest_Histrix_*

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Posted 12 April 2007 - 08:19 PM

Is anyone else wondering if that grass growing around the pitcher picture by Histrix is dwarf hairgrass? Hmmm...I want some!

I'll double check for you -- I'm headed out there again tomorrow

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#13 Guest_nativeplanter_*

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Posted 14 April 2007 - 04:48 PM

Is anyone else wondering if that grass growing around the pitcher picture by Histrix is dwarf hairgrass? Hmmm...I want some!

It sure looks like it to me.

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#14 Michael Wolfe

Board of Directors

North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage

Posted 16 April 2007 - 11:48 PM

This is the greatest plant around... starting with the fact that it eats bugs... the white lace pitchers are beautiful... the plant likes boggy, swampy places... is living well with the bottom of it's pot sitting in the pond... and now, I got this flower...

Here is a picture of the flower that eventually came from the bud that I saw... how cool is this?!

pitcherflower.JPG 299.51KB 1 downloads

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin