My outdoor Tucson, Az Venus flytraps and Sundews

[adnedarn]

Back in March when I potted up Sarracenia to try outside I also potted up some Venus flytraps and Drosera (this pot is the size of the pot I stacked the Sarr pot on, so a bit smaller). While the plants did crash (still in the greenhouse, not completely sure what happened there) here is how they are doing today! I have 4 clones of VFT (typical, 'King Henry', 'Akai Ryu' and 'Dentate Traps') D. Capensis, D. 'Albino' and D. tokiensis.
Rather than putting this in the blasting sun like I did the Sarracenia pot, this has some protection and is between the two greenhouses but still no overhead protection.
Once again, I am ecstatic and honestly surprised at how well they've done outside in the Sonoran desert! I used the same 2 side drain with one plugged method as the Sarracenia pot. I'm starting to really enjoying pushing what we know about environmental mandatories on these plants and see what they're truly capable of!

This VFT eats so much outside!!



This was one D. 'Albino' when potted.


D. capensis in the middle was also one plant.



This D. capensis popped up on its own, seeming from roots of the mother plant in the middle of the pot since it didn't start off as a seedling.

 

[bluemax]

The flytrap coloring is interesting - lots of yellow with a bit of red tint overall. They certainly look healthy!

 

[adnedarn]

Thanks man, the light outside may have been a bit odd when I took that. Here is all the traps in the pot in the sun.
King Henry


Dentate Traps


Akai Ryu


And the typical is the slowest to come back. I thin it and Akai Ryu died back fully and these clumps are leaf cuttings essentially.

 

[andynorth1962]

Oh how I miss my days of youth in Tucson.

 

[adnedarn]

It's changed tons in my lifetime, so likely not even recognizable to you. If you have any photos of things here it would be fun to see!
Update, getting cooler but still no frost. Lots of baby dews popping up too.

 

[andynorth1962]

I left in 74. I was 12. Went back about 20 years ago. Massive changes. We lived east of Davis Monthan AFB off Golflinks and El Camino Real. 8416 E. Pena Blanca to be exact. How the heck I recall that is beyond me but I also remember my phone # in Germany from 40 plus years ago. We owned a Pawn Shop just north of Golflinks AFB gate. It was an auto shop last time I went by it. I have an Aunt that lives on Peregrin Way. Beautiful log cabin style home her and her husband built.
Can you grow CP's in the natural landscape there or is it mineral filled also? I am hoping to make a move there when I retire in about 3 years, 2 months, 3 days and 11 hours but who's counting!!! I just need to convince wife.

 

[herenorthere]

There is something very appealing about seeing how far we can push plants beyond their comfort zone. We'd be arrested if we tried it with children.

 

[andynorth1962]

I think I will try something similar next spring. I have some flytraps and drosera that have no ID so I might put them all together in one big planter.

 

[bluemax]

There is something very appealing about seeing how far we can push plants beyond their comfort zone. We'd be arrested if we tried it with children.

And sometimes we learn crazy things about those plants that we never suspected. With children, that's going to happen anyway.

 

[adnedarn]

After 22f last.night.

 

[bluemax]

I didn't know that it ever hit 22 F in Tucson! 'Bet the adult sundews come back just fine, but I'm wondering about the babies.

 

[adnedarn]

The adults (leaves, not stem) seem more impacted than the babies at this point! We can definitely get cold, down in to the teens. We had some snow flurries over the weekend and a better chance this week (Thursday I think).

 

[andynorth1962]

I lived in Tucson until I was 13. It was always fun when it snowed and we made snow/sand men. Nothing cooler than seeing a saguaro cactus covered in snow!!!

 

[adnedarn]

Everything is coming up nicely!

 

[andynorth1962]

Back in March when I potted up Sarracenia to try outside I also potted up some Venus flytraps and Drosera (this pot is the size of the pot I stacked the Sarr pot on, so a bit smaller). While the plants did crash (still in the greenhouse, not completely sure what happened there) here is how they are doing today! I have 4 clones of VFT (typical, 'King Henry', 'Akai Ryu' and 'Dentate Traps') D. Capensis, D. 'Albino' and D. tokiensis.
Rather than putting this in the blasting sun like I did the Sarracenia pot, this has some protection and is between the two greenhouses but still no overhead protection.
Once again, I am ecstatic and honestly surprised at how well they've done outside in the Sonoran desert! I used the same 2 side drain with one plugged method as the Sarracenia pot. I'm starting to really enjoying pushing what we know about environmental mandatories on these plants and see what they're truly capable of!
View attachment 13184
This VFT eats so much outside!!

View attachment 13185

This was one D. 'Albino' when potted.
View attachment 13186

D. capensis in the middle was also one plant.

View attachment 13187

This D. capensis popped up on its own, seeming from roots of the mother plant in the middle of the pot since it didn't start off as a seedling.
View attachment 13188

I really enjoy seeing your progress in the desert. I am only a few short years away from retiring and Tucson is high on my list of where I want to relocate. Good to know I may not have to sell all my plants.

 

[adnedarn]

This pot was a test (outside) of peat / perlite vs coco peat / perlite (peat won by far) but has been outside for close to the same time as the pot from this post.

 

[bluemax]

What form are those flytraps?

 

[adnedarn]

Just some typical that were being choked out in moss... they were pretty small plants with little to no rhizome when I put them in there. April 2023, about the time i put them outside...

 

[Huntsmanshorn]

This pot was a test (outside) of peat / perlite vs coco peat / perlite (peat won by far) but has been outside for close to the same time as the pot from this post.

It's interesting that you say the peat / perlite "won by far". I've read many claims that coir is just as good as peat, but I've always wondered if that were true. Like I said, it's interesting.

 

[adnedarn]

It dried too fast out there in the heat and single digit humidity. I couldn't keep up even with daily watering. But it was nice that it took water back on quickly and wasn't Hydrophobic as peat gets when it dries. In the greenhouse they seemed fairly equal but I only had them in there long enough to get the plants established to go outside for the torture test.