Drosera brevifolia in some unlikely places

[astateen]

I suspect many yards in the rural southeast are home to Drosera brevifolia. A teacher of mine in 7th grade mentioned that she had some in her yard. Many of my neighbors front yard ditches are filled with little white sundew blooms during sunny spring days. Likewise, my yard has some nice populations of this little sundew. It really reminds me more of pygmy sundews of Australia than any other North American sundew. It is tiny, and seedlings pop up all over the place in the late autumn. The red plants persists through the winter to flower in the early spring. Most of the plants die around May.

Here are some photos of the plant on the less developed ditch on the northwestern side of the property. They grow very well here.

Under a trurkey oak tree I found some bioluminescent jack o lantern mushrooms. I brought one inside and I could see it glow, but the camera could not pick it up.

The sundews also grow in a pine plantation under heavy shade. I found one a few years ago that was about three inches across, but the ones I saw today were only about 1cm.

This one lived on a golf cart trail. It has somehow survived trampling and seems healthy.

Many also live on the side of a pond. The soil here is really just hard clay that was excavated while digging the pond. I don't know how they grow here; it is really dry and not much besides centipede grass is able to grow.

There are also many sundews in the ditch between my neighbors house and mine.

Utricularia subulata is also found in many of these sites, although it is much harder to find when it is not flowering. Together, these two carnivores make the property much more interesting.

 

[mcmcnair]

Very cool!

 

[Keith]

That's a cool thread there sir! I am glad to see some CP's truckin right along in spite of development/disturbance. I bet the utric flowers are very nice and put on quite a show. Can we hope for update pics with utric flowers and more Drosera in the future? Thanks for showing us around.

 

[SWAGnum]

I have heard of people finding these in sidewalk cracks in Houston, Tx

 

[astateen]

Who would've thought carnivorous plants can make it in the city? Sidewalks make an interesting habitat!

 

[rae3604]

That is so cool! Thanks for sharing. It's interesting to see cps in the wild growing in all kinds of soil and here I am fussing over exact soil mixtures. The mushroom is pretty dang sweet. I never would've guessed it glows.

 

[Devon]

That's awesome!

 

[RL7836]

I suspect many yards in the rural southeast are home to Drosera brevifolia. A teacher of mine in 7th grade mentioned that she had some in her yard. Many of my neighbors front yard ditches are filled with little white sundew blooms during sunny spring days.

Thanks for sharing these pics.

They remind me of road trips through the south in the 80's. I remember seeing Sarracenia growing in front lawns in a number of front yards - sometimes in the middle of a small town. Depending on the state, sundews could be found in most of the ditches (which often also had their own fish populations).

 

[Wire Man]

D. brevifolia can handle surprisingly dry conditions, as you can see.

 

[astateen]

They remind me of road trips through the south in the 80's. I remember seeing Sarracenia growing in front lawns in a number of front yards - sometimes in the middle of a small town. Depending on the state, sundews could be found in most of the ditches (which often also had their own fish populations).

Roadside Sarracenia can still be seen in South Georgia. Mostly S. minor, but some flava occasionally. S. minor is also surprisingly drought tolerant. I have seen them in soils with a moisture content comparable to the soil of a neglected housplant. These conditions are far from ideal, and the plants are often stunted, but they persist. And of course, there are not as many roadside bogs. There used to be a few S. minor growing alongside a busy road in Valdosta, but it is just a car dealership now. Those front yard wetlands are mostly gone too. A few neighborhood used to have them as well with plenty of Pings and Drosera and the occasional Sarracenia. The ditches were widened probably to prevent mosquitos, but the fish you mentioned are one of the best mosquito eaters. Stopping mosquitos from breeding in massive numbers would require us to pick up A LOT of litter, which holds water and becomes a mosquito nursery.

As for the utricularia subulata, they don't flower very much in drier conditions so they are harder to spot. It is cleistogamous, so there are still stalks and fruit. They do bloom in wetter areas where the Sarracenia grow, so I will post photos in April.

 

[Wire Man]

The subterra of Sarracenia bogs is usually wet, even if the surface is dry. A lot of bogs are like that in the summer.