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hunterkiller0

"Help! Help! I've fallen and can't get out!"
Last April Lowes were selling some carnivorous plants from Gubler Nursery, including what appeared to be S alabamensis ssp. wherryii, or known as S. rubra ssp. wherryii here in the Phoenix area in Arizona.

Today I discovered again Lowes is selling Saracenias in these one gallon pots. These plants are from Booman Floral from Vista California. Booman Floral has sold more variety of carnivorous plants then any other nursery. Often in these small 3 inch or 4 inch pots inside clear plastic socks; with funny labels like octopus plant, starfish plant and comical drawings of cp with fangs.

Each black gallon pots has about 4 to 5 species of Sarracenias on each pot. The plants I have identified are S. flava cut throat, heavy veined, and copper top. Also S. rubras gulfensis, S. rubra, S. minor, S. alata, and their trademark complex hybrid S. 'cobra nest'.

But what caught my attention and if my eyes are playing tricks on me. What clearly looks like to be S. oreophila and another S alabamensis family. And this one really looks like S alabamensis ssp alabamensis! It has to be because I had both. S. oreophila, which I lost last year by that rat infestation and S alabamensis, which was damaged by that same rat infestation and is recovering, albeit a smaller plant.

I don't know if Booman Floral have ship these collection of Sarracenias in other state beside Arizona, but I know they ship in California, Nevada, and sometime in N. Mexico. Like I said this are gallon pots with about 4 to five different species of Sarracenias, each costing $15. Pretty cheap in my opinion considering what they have on each pot. A quick way to build your collection.

But if you have the Lowes store in your area, it would be interested if someone else confirms that they have alabamensis and oreophila on sale.
 
Maybe I'm wrong, but wouldn't it be violating federal law to sell oreophila and alabamensis?
 
Maybe I'm wrong, but wouldn't it be violating federal law to sell oreophila and alabamensis?

Across state borders, but within the state it's ok.
 
Although I didn't get a pot full of mixed sarrs and it wasn't at Lowes. My gallon pot of S. minor that I got last Saturday was from Booman under the label Xtreem Plants. Maybe Booman is trying to branch out with larger specimens, after all they are less likely to die before sale than the typical death cube sacrifices.
 
Booman sells a six inch potted "Carnivorous Garden"
http://boomanfloral.com/images/600_carnivorousgarden.jpg

It is possible they have a new "product line" but what's the old marketing saying "You don't roll out a new product until Labor Day"?

It's possible a local distributor/supplier are making their own collections that include plants from local sources. Booman is a hybridizer extraordinaire and studied under other hybridizer extraordinaires like Larry Mellichamp. Hybrids are exempted from the ESA. A back-crossed hybrid can look very similar to the major parent so don't jump to many conclusions on identification until you've observed the plants in a mature stage (flowering) throughout the growing season. And it is possible that Booman being as large an operation they are has the permits to sell propagated ESA plants.

Pictures of the packaging and plants would be helpful.
 
Although I didn't get a pot full of mixed sarrs and it wasn't at Lowes. My gallon pot of S. minor that I got last Saturday was from Booman under the label Xtreem Plants. Maybe Booman is trying to branch out with larger specimens, after all they are less likely to die before sale than the typical death cube sacrifices.

One thing about the size pots, they're not a gallon. There about half a gallon, I was going to waht the receipt said about pot size.

But the pots are the Xtreme plants from Booman floral. Visiting severl Lowes, not all of them were carrying them and the few. Mostly the pots had S. minor, or two varieties of S. flava, or flava and leucophyllas. And they would sell a very few that had more variety of Sarracenias. Mostly S. rubra's, S. x 'Cobra Nest', S. × catesbaei, and what I think what looks like S. alabamensis and oreophila. But I noticed most of the pots are S. minors, I expect most of them will be dead due to lack of water. When I bought mines, the growing media was somewhat dry. I wanted to but the one with the catesbaei in it, it seemed it was growing next to a flava "heavy veined".

---------- Post added at 09:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:16 PM ----------

This are the pics of the pots I bought.

BoomanFloral-Srubra02.jpg

BoomanFloral-Srubra01.jpg

Sarracenia flavas on the background and S. rubra.


BoomanFloral-Possiblealabamensis01.jpg

What look a lot like S. alabamensis and S. oreophila


BoomanFloral-Possiblealabamensisoreophila02.jpg

Large S. flava right of the pic, two what looks like S. oreophila, and the S. alabamensis on the left side.


BoomanFloral-Sminor.jpg

and S. minor, a lot more then any other being sold.


@'Not a number': Yes, I realize that what looked like S. alabamensis and oreophilia can be back crossed hybrids. But as a large company Booman is, I wouldn't be surprsied that they have the permits to sell endangered plants. Flowering season has gone so I have to wait next year to positively identify these plants.
 
I saw four of these today at the Lowes near my house. One had a huge 'Cobra Nest' in it. The others were flavas. All four were bone dry and already near death. The 'Cobra Nest' was in the best shape. Too bad but they wiil be dead in another day or two.
 
Last edited:
So I went to my usual haunts yesterday (7 different nurseries in total). Of these, only 3 had CPs at all, and 2 had the Booman Plants. The first of these two had 2 S. minor. The second had 1 S. catesbaei, and 1 mixed with S. flava and S. catesbaei that had a pie slice of about a third of its soil taken out - there must have been a casualty during shipping. Since I was not interested in any of these - I didn't pick any up.
 
Hi all

They do look like they could use a good dose of sunshine to brighten the colours somewhat, but it looks like a good buy. Good luck with them.

Cheers
Steve
 
  • #10
Either my Lowes stopped selling Cps entirely or they are (in) conveniently out of stock whenever I check...
 
  • #11
CP availability depends entirely on the managers of each store or nursery, the nursery that I got my S. flava from hasn't had any CPs in two years. I don't like to sign the death warrant to have my nurseries do special orders because they usually will order more than one plant when one is often what I want. But if you're concerned that there aren't any CPs, just ask a manager and usually (no guarantees though) they'll order some.
 
  • #12
Hi all

They do look like they could use a good dose of sunshine to brighten the colours somewhat, but it looks like a good buy. Good luck with them.

Cheers
Steve

Unfortunately, the plants were put in the shaded part of the store. I can tell one flava is a copper top, still had the copper color but fading. I went to Lowes again and most of the plants are drying up. The S. minors that they still have are holding up, but give it a few more days & they will be dead too.

What a shame... and they ere beautiful.

What a waste.
 
  • #13
Unfortunately, the plants were put in the shaded part of the store. I can tell one flava is a copper top, still had the copper color but fading. I went to Lowes again and most of the plants are drying up. The S. minors that they still have are holding up, but give it a few more days & they will be dead too.

What a shame... and they ere beautiful.

What a waste.


Hi HK

Ahhh, I always feel the same when I pass these poor dying plants in shops and often buy some to save them from certain death, but I do have a dichotomy about this because by buying them I am giving them a better life but also condemning countless thousands more to death because the very act of my purchase will signal to the shop that they are popular and they should get more, so the circle continues. I suppose we should only buy from specialist nurseries, but even this wouldn’t eradicate the practise as there will always be people who know nothing about the plants requirements buying them.

But at least now you have them you can look after them, watch them getting bigger, stronger and more colourful, a voyage of discovery, it always makes you feel good about it. Looks kike they will give you some years of pleasure.

Cheers
Steve
 
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