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what do you like best?

I started a topic sorta like this in the sundew section, but:
what do you like best: heliamphora, cephalotus follicularis, or sarracenia?
I like heliamphora because they have open pitchers, and are found in an exotic location. they look so cool. I like cephs second best, and sarrs third.
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I like Sarrs best. Heliamphoras aren't in the running because of their environmental needs. Cephs are nice and I have some, but they don't match Sarrs. Honestly, I don't think any plant can match a large S. leucophylla at sunset in the fall. Those pitchers glow.
 
I do not have any heliamphora.
I will have to say cephalotus follicularis is my favorite out of the 3.
 
Out of the Sarracenia, Heliamphora, and Cephalotus that I grow, I enjoy my Sarracenia the most.
 
To me:

I love Cephalotus first, Nepenthes second, and heliamphoras third, so there is no room for sarracenias.

Furthermore, sarracenias are like dandelions:They grow very easy, are easy to find and are very cheap. For some reason, i am attracted to more challenging plants.

Gus
 
Out of all the pitcher plants the only ones I have tried so far are Sarracenia's. I would love to try the others but with so few traders in Canada and a small list myself there isn't much chance of me trying Heliamphora, or Cephalotus anytime soon.

The local CP society here just posted on their website that they will not be accepting new members this year but will proceed with their Show and Sale. You can not purchase plants or even attend if you are not a member so that leaves me out.

As for Nepenthes which was not included, I can purchase several more common varieties here but will probably go with a highland cultivar to try first since it will pretty much be able to be grown as a houseplant in winter and left outside during the summer here.

Cheers,
Sean
 
I haven't tried heliamphora or cephalotus yet. I'm not very interested in heliamphora but I would love to have a ceph.

Anyway... judging by sheer looks I would have to say that sarracenia are my favorite. There are so many color varieties and diversity that anyone could find one they like.
 
Man Sean -

That's rough! I wish you could come to one of our NECPS meetings or our show in October. It seemed like EVERYONE who visited last year's show walked away with plants. We had 2 excellent vendors, our member Dr. Ken with tissue culture flasks, AND CPs donated by NECPS members. Where in Canada are you?


Back favorites... I love my Cephs, Darlingtonia, and Sarracenia. My favorite would have to be S. leucophylla. Last summer at a gardener's market table that I sold plants at, I was explaining to a woman how the pitcher plants catch insects. As I spoke, one of the S. leucos attracted and caught a large wasp as the woman gasped in amazement. I just got a S. leuco "red tube" this week and I can't wait to see how it looks later this summer. Last year I accidentally snapped off the one pitcher of my S. leuco "titan" just days before the NECPS show. Arrghhh!

WildBill
 
  • #10
Hi WildBill,

Thanks for the understanding... I spoke to one of our local growers and importers who is a member and former board member of the local CP club.
While they do supply a decent variety of CP's they are smaller than some trades I have received and let's not even compare them to plants for postage I have recieved. The prices they sell for are steep in my opinion but then if it's all you can get??? Whadda ya do.

I am always happy to trade other plants I have for CP's. I hybridize and propagate Tropical waterlilies and it just seemed that Bog gardening with CP's was a natural progression of what I was already doing with Aquatics. I usually have a small surplus of rare or hard to find Tropical waterlilies.

I am on the West Coast of Canada in Vancouver British Columbia, Zone 8B. We are a humid climate being costal with tons of rain and the temps rarely if ever drop below freezing which makes us wonderful candidates for most CP's. In the summer we never get too hot which is beneficial for most CP's as well.

There are dozens of natural peat bogs in my area where people grow Cranberries and Blueberries. In these natural peat bogs grow a few native drocera, (don't remember the species) . I grow my own live Sphagnum from a single sprig of Sphagnum I harvested from a local bog a few years ago. I know it's not nice to take live plants but I have produced hundreds of individual plants from one sprig so I have done nothing to deplete the species.

Cheers,
Sean
 
  • #11
Oh yeah, I forgot about darlingtonia californica. Like Agustin, I think sarrs are kinda "common" because its not like (at least in the U.S.) you walk into lowes and buy cephs and heliamphora tatei tatei.
 
  • #12
Mine usee to be Darlingtonia but i like sarracenia alot more now and they are my most fvorite cp of all
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  • #13
My favorite is the Cephalotus because it's the only pitcher plant I have, they have the coolest name, and they're small and cute.
 
  • #14
true, true
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thats why I don't like giant forms of cephalotus.
 
  • #15
I like Sarracenia the best, then Heliamphora.  This is subject to change, of course  
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-Homer
 
  • #17
Now Augustin, don't give me that. The basic sarracenias may be common and easy to get hold of, but that doesn't take the apeal away for me. Even once you see all the different species and varieties, there is no limit to the stunning hybrids possible. For example, anyone who has seen Mike King's picture of his beautiful pure red flava complain about the genus. They may be somewhat simple in their needs, but that is another thing that I like about them. They can be grown outdoors and they aren't picky about temperature or humidity. (We won't mention the difference in the power bill
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)

Now take cephalotus. There are only a few variants, and however adorable the pitchers may be, after while there is nothing new. Nepenthes may not be easy to grow or get hold of, but I'm guessing nepenthes is the most loved genus among cp growers. It takes a whole lot of effort to grow something 20 people don't already have. They also need to be heavily cared for. They need high humidity, light, more exotic soil mixes, and sometimes they need to be fed.

While all three (or 4) genuses are very rewarding, I must say sarracenias are my favorites.

Peter
 
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