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Nepenthes 'Local' - a thought experiment

  • Thread starter Vidyut
  • Start date
I am currently trying to grow highland plants in very lowland conditions. Warm nights, etc. Giving them some cooling, but not a lot. My guess is that any seed resulting from such plants will be happier to grow here (even highland x highland). More like only the ones most able to adapt will mature and thrive enough to have seeds. Using "highland" here, because that is what I am doing, but I suppose people in cold countries could do lowland or people in dry climates could do plants needing high humidity, etc.

Am toying with the idea of crossing the most vigorous of such plants (right now I have seeds germinating - this is no better than musing) and where available, their progeny. All species or hybrids of species that shouldn't technically grow here at all. Am wondering how long it will take before I reach a generation that grows reliably in my climate without any coddling.

The rules for species or hybrids like this would basically be to grow plants strictly from a climate different from yours from seed. Whether species or hybrids. Meet bare minimum requirements to keep them thriving. Pollinate species where possible and hybrids where not, but only with plants from the project (not pollen gotten from highland places or TC highland plants, etc)

Obviously, if there are no matching flowers to breed with, growers will breed with what is available, but then those seeds should not be included in the project.

And of course, it is entirely possible that people can't grow plants to flowering size outside their native climates and this remains an idea only.

Ideas?

Edit: Thought of this idea when a nepenthes enthusiast here (who has only a few plants, but likes the genus) heard of my highland attempts and said he isn't interested in growing highlanders unless I had grown them from seed here. Then he'd happily buy the new generation for MORE money.
 
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Also for something like this, sellling/trading plants would be limited to region to remain in the "local" project. For eg Europe to US, etc would remove the "local", though it would be a perfectly good plant anyway. So essentially, every place would have to start its own "local" plants, though buying "local" plants from similar climates could give a headstart with seeds for their "local" program.
 
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