What's new
TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

For all of you who were expecting an amazing display of horticultural wonders, I sincerely apologize. A few years ago, I took a trip to DC and only saw a single terrarium housing some light-starved Sarracenia and Dionaea. I returned recently, full of optimism, eager to see to what was hopefully by now a larger and more impressive collection. I was disappointed. The only CPs I saw were two large specimens of Nepenthes and a sickly typical Dionaea on the welcome desk that I didn't even bother photographing. The Nepenthes, N. veitchii and N. graciliflora I believe, were shoved into a dark corner of the tropical greenhouse, and lacked any sort of identification. It seemed that the N. veitchii hadn't made any new pitchers in a while. There was a large room full of flourishing highland orchids like Masdevallia and Vanda, thoroughly labeled and happily flowering; has no one realized that many highland Nepenthes can be grown successfully there as well? Hopefully, their collection and cultivation of CPs will improve in the future; but for now, there's not much to see. I realize that many of their CPs might have not been on display that day, but still - for a government funded facility boasting one of the oldest and largest plant collections in North America, it was lacking.

IMAG10961_zpsghvk9qg8.jpg


IMAG10971_zpsuirt5dil.jpg
 
That is rather disappointing, but at least they had CPs.
 
Par for the course apparently. The national aquarium in DC was a toilet that was thankfully flushed a couple years ago.
 
For all of you who were expecting an amazing display of horticultural wonders, I sincerely apologize. A few years ago, I took a trip to DC and only saw a single terrarium housing some light-starved Sarracenia and Dionaea. I returned recently, full of optimism, eager to see to what was hopefully by now a larger and more impressive collection. I was disappointed. The only CPs I saw were two large specimens of Nepenthes and a sickly typical Dionaea on the welcome desk that I didn't even bother photographing. The Nepenthes, N. veitchii and N. graciliflora I believe, were shoved into a dark corner of the tropical greenhouse, and lacked any sort of identification. It seemed that the N. veitchii hadn't made any new pitchers in a while. There was a large room full of flourishing highland orchids like Masdevallia and Vanda, thoroughly labeled and happily flowering; has no one realized that many highland Nepenthes can be grown successfully there as well? Hopefully, their collection and cultivation of CPs will improve in the future; but for now, there's not much to see. I realize that many of their CPs might have not been on display that day, but still - for a government funded facility boasting one of the oldest and largest plant collections in North America, it was lacking.

IMAG10961_zpsghvk9qg8.jpg


IMAG10971_zpsuirt5dil.jpg

That sucks.

Good to know what my competition is in the field of public collections, though. Speaking from experience, it isn't difficult to turn a lackluster collection like that around in a short span of time. I overhauled ours virtually without funding, but something like the US Botanic Garden should have no excuse.
 
Update: I've got time to head back there again. I'll see if I can scrounge up anything worth posting about.
 
Last edited:
Don't forget that USBG is directly under the purview of Congress/Capitol Grounds administration rather than an executive agency, so they have very little insulation from the circus passing for 'representative government' in the US these days...

Seriously, though, I've been to USBG 4-5 times and always found it pretty spectacular, especially given the relatively tiny exhibit acreage they have onsite (there's a much larger offsite range) and the fact that they charge no admission fee. Most botanical gardens by necessity have distinct specialties and also 'blind spots,' and CPs unfortunately seem to be a common blind spot. From what I've seen USBG IS very good with orchids, bromeliads (I first learned of Brocchinia reducta there), cacti and other New World xerophytes, ferns, and probably a bunch of other groups I'm forgetting right now. I haven't yet visited every botanical garden in the US but I'd rank USBG well in the top tier of the dozen or so I have, bettered in my personal experience only by NYBG and ABG.

I do agree that some huge, healthy Nepenthes would be awesome in the main conservatory space at USBG, though. Since the bulk of their collection is grown and stored away from the exhibition site, maybe they already have some suitable accessions they'd put on exhibit following a friendly request?
 
Also don't forget that as beautiful and worthwhile as a botanical garden is, it's a difficult to justify spending money on one when you can't even pay the bills and the debt incurred from failure to pay them for the last 20 years.
 
It's been that way for as long as I've been visiting the place (a decade I guess). I wish I were part of the botany community and could maybe be involved with their nepenthes selection. I've considered donating plants to them, but would they be displayed anywhere but a dark corner? Probably not. It's a shame. If anyone figures out how the community could improve things over there, I'm happy to help out.
 
  • #10
Well, I didn't see anything new today, but I did notice that I was incorrect in saying that their Nepenthes were not labeled...the N. graciliflora was labeled N. alata, like every other Nepenthes I seem to encounter nowadays. I can't suppose I can blame them though, the species of the N. alata complex are sometimes difficult to distinguish from one another, and they didn't flub nearly as badly as the university that had labeled their N. x 'Miranda' as N. alata. I told the front desk about the labeling issue, and they assured me that it would be fixed immediately. When I asked, they also told me that most of their CP collection wasn't on exhibit, and that they did realize that their temperate CPs weren't very happy on the welcome desk; the lady working there seemed pretty knowledgeable about their requirements! Kudos to you, US Botanic Garden, you have (somewhat) redeemed yourself in my eyes.
 
  • #12
It seems that they would do well to hire a TFr :-D
 
  • #13
I was actually there this past weekend as well! I found the two Nepenthes in the same state that you did, however the orchid greenhouse/room was absolutely spectacular. I have never seen so many orchids in spike at one time!
 
  • #14
I must agree, the orchids were absolutely astounding. I just wish that the CP exhibit could be just as amazing...
 
  • #15
Another problem is that they have a "carnivore" section which is literally the size of a bedroom and it's not as well lit as other areas. I think they feel the need to put all their nepenthes in this one room where there's limited space and where they won't flourish. There are countless places in the large main room where a nepenthes would grow spectacularly if they'd just stick it there.
 
Back
Top