Darlingtonia -- finally!

[BigBella]

Between long wet winters, week-long spikes in heat, my Darlingtonia plants didn't know what to do; and I wasn't expecting to see anything until Fall. I was pleasantly surprised this morning . . .

Darlingtonia californica

 

[Exo]

Ohhh..Nice!

 

[Not a Number]

I only got one flower this year. And my plants didn't start pushing up pitchers until a couple weeks ago too. Everything got off to a late start this year. Same as last year.

 

[BigBella]

Thanks Warren: I am not alone . . .

 

[thez_yo]

Mine too - this just came up on the weekend (well I'm sure it took longer to grow, but I didn't notice it til now)--

Grats yours looks like it's gonna get BIG!

 

[Rob]

Wow nice darlingtonia!!!

 

[GregNY]

Nice! Promising! Mine has yet to come back from its first winter :-/ . I'm hanging in there but I dont think it made it....

Whats the root system color of darlingtonia supposed to be??

 

[BigBella]

Whats the root system color of darlingtonia supposed to be??

Brownish, like a russet potato, though it varies . . .

 

[GregNY]

Hmmm, good news for me as I remember my roots being darker, can't recall russet brown or black, but thanks.

Good luck with it, and nice stuff as always

 

[jimscott]

Kyewt! I didn't get a flower this year, and it went through a proper dormancy, like the VFT's & Sarracenias.

 

[jesse]

I wasn't expecting to see anything until Fall. I was pleasantly surprised this morning . . .

I own a Darlingtonia since last year.
The mother plant has not yet developed any new pitcher since last winter, but there are some new sideshoots growing:

Perhaps I should use better winter protection in my climate.

 

[MH1]

Hmmmm, I already have 2 mature pitchers, despite my sarras being quite late I wonder why darlingtonia are so expensive... they seem to put out so many baby plants via stolons?

 

[BigBella]

Hmmmm, I already have 2 mature pitchers, despite my sarras being quite late I wonder why darlingtonia are so expensive... they seem to put out so many baby plants via stolons?

Perhaps the prohibitive price has something to do with a plant species which can take upwards of a decade to reach flowering maturity; that, and it is also a close second to flytraps as the most often killed carnivorous plant -- so far as I can tell. My plants, like yours, put out its fair share of stolons and I have grown them successfully for years; but our weather in Northern California has been a bit unusual -- the so-called La Nina pattern -- and everything seems a bit out of whack. The Sarracenia, though, are doing fine . . .

 

[Not a Number]

Here's a quick survey of mine. I took a lot of divisions this year.

 

[BigBella]

Warren, you've been far more dedicated than I have been this season. Impressive . . .

 

[MH1]

Hmmmm, that pattern is going to give us heavy rain until ~24th of June. Gah. Our weather has been a bit weird here too- coldest winter followed by hottest spring, except for where I live it alternated between 10C and 25C every few days. I'm blaming the cold winter on the Sarras being later this year though. Shame people kill them so much! Although, maybe cephs rival the 'most killed plant'? I suppose they both carry a hefty price tag, either way.

 

[8abug4fun]

here's my Darling Bog. outside in SF. this was newly planted in Jan. with divisions/off shoots from my old Darl bog that was in need of "renovation". so this is its first planted year of growth.

 

[BigBella]

Mine simply had the previous year's growth until the new leaves appeared in the last few weeks. Nice set-up . . .