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Darlingtonia Question

SubRosa

SubRosa

BS Bulldozer
I'm wondering about the feasibility of keeping Darlingtonia in an outdoor bog I'm constructing. I'm located in SE PA, zone 6B. In real terms it generally means hot, humid summers and wet winters in which temps rarely stay cold or warm for long. Lots of freeze/thaw cycles. The spot would be partially shaded, and in the design I have provision for a 3' below grade area of water storage which I was planning to pump out into a small basin and let overflow back into the bog on a continuous basis, at least during the growing season. This should provide reasonably cool water for the basin. Does anyone have any experience with Darlingtonia in this area or under similar conditions?
 
Should be fine in your climate. What's with the water pump idea - is that purely because of the darlingtonia? They'll be fine in a normal big garden with sarracenia. No need for fancy setups.
 
Actually most of the basin will be shaded so my first thought was to grow some Utricularias, such as inflata and/or purpurea, but a part of it would get a good deal of sun and I thought the Darlingtonia would work nicely there if they can handle the heat and humidity that we get here. Not unusual to go 10 straight days with temp over 90F, lows in the mid 70s and humidity over 90% as well. As long as that isn't a problem I didn't think winter hardiness would be. Plus having plumbing in place would make draining excess water out much easier if need be.
 
Sounds like a great setup to me. I grow Darlingtonia in both a bog with no continuous water flow and in a moss-covered waterfall-type setup in my pond where they get continuous water flow year-round, and the Darlingtonia do much better in the pond setup with continuous water flow than in the bog. Both the bog and the pond get full sun all day long, but the Darlingtonia are growing in thick moss and that helps keep the roots cool in the heat of summer (I throw water on the ones in the bog though at least once a day during the hottest part of summer). I don't think you will have a problem growing them in partial shade as I have seen them growing in the wild equally well where they are shaded half the day and others in full blazing sun all day. I don't know about your humidity as we don't have high humidity here and the humidity is not that high where they grow in the wild.

I would be interested know how they do for you in your setup/climate.
 
Well I guess I'll find out!
 
A well-established plant can handle the heat. Although I am in Western NY, I have had mine in a planter, with Sarracenias, on our porch, in full sun. We don't get your summer heat but it does get into the 90's and it doesn't seem to faze them.





This experiment with cobra lilys didn't go s well for me:



 
Jimscott: Sorry to hear the cobra experiment did not fair so well, but I am sure it was a good learning experience nontheless. Was it critters, weather, or the water that did them in, or a combination of those? Your planter looks awesome and those cobras look happy, as do all the others on your deck! Looks like you need some of my D. filiformis x tracyii for variety? Haha.
 
DJ57 said:
Jimscott: Sorry to hear the cobra experiment did not fair so well, but I am sure it was a good learning experience nontheless. Was it critters, weather, or the water that did them in, or a combination of those? Your planter looks awesome and those cobras look happy, as do all the others on your deck! Looks like you need some of my D. filiformis x tracyii for variety? Haha.
Click to expand...

I'm reasonably sure that it was critters. LFS, apparently, makes good nesting material. D. filiformis? Indeed! The water is actually pretty good for the plants. I had U. gibba & Aldrovanda thriving with that water.




But when I switched to using creek water, last year, they declined and died out. Learning experience is a polite way of putting it!
 
  • #10
Cobra Lily's are a cool mountain plant, not a bog plant. I have about 5 miles from here 100s of 1000s of them. The are a bright cool mountain plant and almost always will be found where cool water can flow through the roots. They are not heat lovers, altho will live in full to parchel sun. around here you can find them in ditches along side the road, on the side of the mountain and next to the river. They are a native of Oregon and California.

Regards
 
  • #11
I've been wanting to grow one of these for the longest time... But I can't find any ideal climate info but I think my 9b climate would kill It pretty fast. :(
 
  • #12
I am in 8b and grow them in the sunniest parts of the greenhouses. Why not give it a try? It's worth it :D
 
  • #13
The nights during the summer here and just as hot and muggy as the day time. This is a plant that depends on a fairly drastic drop in night temperature that I can't provide. The shade might be doable but I still think that's too hot.
 
  • #14
I'm using a bank of thermometers to monitor the root temperatures of my Darlingtonia colonies. Perhaps when the summer results are in you may find you can reconsider.
 
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