Rainbows in the Midwest

[hcarlton]

"Pago Giant" is the new reigning king of rainbow plant leaf length
B. filifolia "Pago Giant" by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
And the perennial hybrid is doing quite well too. My one gigantea is a slowpoke though, and I still need to get another started...
B. lamellata x gigantea by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

 

[hcarlton]

The first filifolia blooms...
B. filifolia "Pago Giant" by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
B. filifolia "Pago Giant" by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
B. filifolia "Pago Giant" by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
The flower produced no pollen, but I did pollinate it with B. aquatica "robust" (similarly, I've made the two-way aquatica x rorida "Taylor's Lagoon" and reverse as well as rorida x guehoi), and hoping for decent seeds of such and offspring to follow.

 

[bluemax]

Do you use different soil media for the different species or do you use the same for all? I am playing with both lfs and sandy peat for B. liniflora and gigantea.

 

[hcarlton]

Do you use different soil media for the different species or do you use the same for all? I am playing with both lfs and sandy peat for B. liniflora and gigantea.

Primarily sandy peat mix for all, heavier on sand for the hybrids (though they're not doing well currently, and I may be moving them to a less humid location as I think that's the cause). I generally place a little LFS on the surface of the annual pots to ward off fungus when germinating, but currently I'm thinking it's had some detrimental effects on a few (save liniflora, which doesn't care what it's in).

 

[hcarlton]

Liniflora back in bloom
B. liniflora by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
B. liniflora by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

 

[hcarlton]

Naturally, it was not until I was left with only one that my "Hidden Valley" filifolia decided to bloom...so I got a photo of the back of the flower. Now hoping the cuttings strike and another seed sprouts so I might finally get seed of this variety
B. filifolia "Hidden Valley" by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
And the second round of perennials are doing much better than the first; these are fairly old photos and a couple of the plants are pushing over 6" tall
B. lamellata x gigantea by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
B. lamellata x gigantea by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
B. lamellata x gigantea by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
B. lamellata x gigantea by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

 

[bluemax]

Nice to see some healthy Byblis at this time of the year. Here my sole B. gigantea is weathering temps in the 40's in my garage waiting for warmer days. But I do have some B. lamellata seed waiting for spring.

 

[hcarlton]

Still looking for the species themselves; the gigantea seeds I had last year did not sprout/survive well, and I have no source for lamellata.

 

[hcarlton]

Ever bigger...starting to think this is the closest I'll have to Drosophyllum around here
B. lamellata x gigantea by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
B. lamellata x gigantea by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

 

[hcarlton]

Entered the perennials into the Plant of the Month...but the aquatica are beginning to flower again too
B. aquatica "robust form" by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

 

[bluemax]

Good stuff!

 

[hcarlton]

I made attempts at many hybrids with the previous generation, so far only have confirmation that one worked...this is one that didn't
B. liniflora by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

 

[adnedarn]

That's pretty, what a nice contrast!

 

[hcarlton]

The one hybrid I know worked, because the plants are redder, a bit stockier, and have more serrated, darker purple flowers than liniflora (even if only just)...
B. liniflora x rorida "Taylor's Lagoon" by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
B. liniflora x rorida "Taylor's Lagoon" by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Far more exciting though:
B. lamellata x gigantea by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
Just the one plant this season so far, but there might be another plant preparing a bloom...in any case hopefully next spring I will see the rest follow suit so i can make seeds.
B. lamellata x gigantea by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

 

[hcarlton]

B. rorida "Taylor's Lagoon" by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
B. rorida "Taylor's Lagoon" by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

 

[hcarlton]

B. lamellata x gigantea by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

 

[bluemax]

A nice-looking cross.

 

[hcarlton]

The hybrids are fertile...
B. lamellata x gigantea SEEDS! by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

 

[bluemax]

The hybrids are fertile...
B. lamellata x gigantea SEEDS! by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Congrats! 'Seems like a natural for a hybrid. 'Wonder what the new generation will reveal.

 

[hcarlton]

As I expect the seeds I started with are not first-generation either, I think the hybrids are fully fertile and the offspring will probably look just like the parents.