What was your very first plant? Mine was a venus fly trap from rona which lasted through the spring, summer, then died at christmas. Unfortunately everytime it ate an insect, the leaves died and the plant didnt grow any bigger.
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Your First Carnivorous Plant?
- Thread starter PlasmaShock
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I was 11 years old. Year, 1961. Dang if the feed and seed store in downtown Great Falls, Montana didn't have a "rare" carnivorous plant for sale at their store. I never saw anything like it before, and stared in wonder. They called it a Cobra Lily, but the tag said, Darlingtonia californica. THIS was my first kill!
uhmmm vft as well..
Clint
Stay chooned in for more!
Mine was a Dionaea... and then the next 12 were Dionaea aswell untill I learned what I was doing lol.
Then a D. adelae that was grossly etoliated and I thought it was supposed to be that way lol.
then I got my first 3 inch nepenthes and the pitchers died when I stuffed an adult cricket into them lol (the cricket was the size of the pitcher!)
Then a D. adelae that was grossly etoliated and I thought it was supposed to be that way lol.
then I got my first 3 inch nepenthes and the pitchers died when I stuffed an adult cricket into them lol (the cricket was the size of the pitcher!)
Maybe 1967, Builder's Emporium a local chain hardware store had VFTs at the register and I convinced my mom to buy me one. I still remember it was in a two inch square pot with a frosted clear plastic cup/dome, live Sphagnum with a bit of perlite on the bottom. I put the pot in a 2 gallon pickle jar with a piece of Saran wrap covering the mouth held in place by a rubber band and holes poked in it with a pin.
This sat on a NW facing kitchen window, which got direct filtered sunlight in the early morning. I knew enough not to put the jar into direct sunlight because a couple years earlier my Uncle had bought some bare VFT bulbs and planted them in a turtle bowl (back then those "red-eared" turtles were all the rage). This was covered with Saran wrap and put in the back yard in direct sun resulting in cooked plants.
Everything I knew about VFTs was from an article in National Geographic (May 1961, "Plants That Eat Insects" by Paul A. Zahl, Ph.D.)
Anyway it just sat on the windowsill. I'd water it with bottled "spring" water (somewhere I learned not to use tap water) every now and then. Once in a great while I'd feed it a fly I caught. It would flower every two years or so. A few times I hand pollinated with a toothpick and promptly forgot about seeds. A few times there were some VFT seedlings in the Sphagnum that died when I went too long between watering.
The plant survived probably due to my benign neglect until 1980 or so when I went off to grad school and left the plant in charge with my parents. I came home one break to a dried out pot.
This sat on a NW facing kitchen window, which got direct filtered sunlight in the early morning. I knew enough not to put the jar into direct sunlight because a couple years earlier my Uncle had bought some bare VFT bulbs and planted them in a turtle bowl (back then those "red-eared" turtles were all the rage). This was covered with Saran wrap and put in the back yard in direct sun resulting in cooked plants.
Everything I knew about VFTs was from an article in National Geographic (May 1961, "Plants That Eat Insects" by Paul A. Zahl, Ph.D.)
Anyway it just sat on the windowsill. I'd water it with bottled "spring" water (somewhere I learned not to use tap water) every now and then. Once in a great while I'd feed it a fly I caught. It would flower every two years or so. A few times I hand pollinated with a toothpick and promptly forgot about seeds. A few times there were some VFT seedlings in the Sphagnum that died when I went too long between watering.
The plant survived probably due to my benign neglect until 1980 or so when I went off to grad school and left the plant in charge with my parents. I came home one break to a dried out pot.
I went on to become a VFT nut with 7 VFT's, 1 nepenthes + 5 drosera seedlings, 20 or so VFT seedlings, 1 utricularia calcifyda and 3 kinds of mosses. 
My first was a VFT, died roughly 1 month later.
2nd VFT lasted for 4 or do months, died
3rd S. purp, D. adelae, VFT, Purp and VFT died over winter, Still have D. adelae
2nd VFT lasted for 4 or do months, died
3rd S. purp, D. adelae, VFT, Purp and VFT died over winter, Still have D. adelae
My first was a VFT. I saw it in a paper catalog (before the Internet 
) and ordered it through the mail. It came in as a “bulb” with some peat moss in a little plastic bag. I planted it in a small aquarium that I had (I also raised tropic fish), and it actually grew! It was fun gathering bugs for it to eat, and all was well for a while. After some time, some of the traps started going black, and it got smaller and smaller leaves. Since I was watering it with tap water I probably killed it, or perhaps it was attempting to go dormant. 
) and ordered it through the mail. It came in as a “bulb” with some peat moss in a little plastic bag. I planted it in a small aquarium that I had (I also raised tropic fish), and it actually grew! It was fun gathering bugs for it to eat, and all was well for a while. After some time, some of the traps started going black, and it got smaller and smaller leaves. Since I was watering it with tap water I probably killed it, or perhaps it was attempting to go dormant. 
My first CP was S. purpurea. I remeber my friend found a place that sold CPs at the mall and he got a VFT. I didn't want to have the same that he did so I got a sarr instead (since at that time I was under the impression that they moved as well). As soon as I got it I started researching immediately and I came here, that was over 4 years ago. Soon I got a VFT just because they were cooler to me. Since I had reseached a lot, I knew what I was doing (sort of) but unfortunately, they didn't survive the winter. I remember back then I had kept a logbook and made an entry EVERY DAY. Every time there was a new pitcher or something I wrote it down. THat only lasted for about 2 months. I think I joined this place only a couple weeks after I started since I found TF when I was researching.
I think I joined this place only a couple weeks after I started since I found TF when I was researching.I thought when an insect goes down the tube of a pitcher plant, it sort of closes behind the insect sort of like a swallowing motion. I was pretty disappointed when I found out it wasn't like that.
yeah, same here.
I also never knew how a butterwort caught it's prey.
and I thought that all pitcher plants caught rainwater.
I also never knew how a butterwort caught it's prey.
and I thought that all pitcher plants caught rainwater.
I remember back then I had kept a logbook and made an entry EVERY DAY. Every time there was a new pitcher or something I wrote it down. THat only lasted for about 2 months.
That is hilarious. My first was like most everyone else: vft.
xvart.
DerbyCityNeps
Always a newbie- Previously glider14
i was 7 and i got my first VFT. but the CP that got me into the craze was an S. 'Judith Hindle' from Target labled as Cobra Lily. it survied the winter but died from damp off in spring 
Alex
Alex
i guess most of us had the vft first because we didnt know that there were other types of carnivorous plants.
flytraplady5
Hort. School dropout X 2
My first carnie plant was also a VFTback in 1969 I bought it from a local Nursery near Beale AFB CA( about 50 mi NE of Sacramento).
it had no growing instructions so I did all things wrong. Watered it with tap water, fed it hamburger.
Then I reentered the wonderful world of carnie plants about 8 years ago.My first plant was a S. purpurea. the rest is history.
I have been working on my grow list for 2 months, still not halfway done.
Lois
it had no growing instructions so I did all things wrong. Watered it with tap water, fed it hamburger.
Then I reentered the wonderful world of carnie plants about 8 years ago.My first plant was a S. purpurea. the rest is history.
I have been working on my grow list for 2 months, still not halfway done.
Lois