Flytraps outdoors question

[Dr. Frank Lyons]

I have read of flytrap colonies found growing wild in Delaware. If they can tolerate Delaware and New Jersey winters and return in the wild I am curious as to why they could not tolerate a KY winter, where I live and return the next Spring. Can anyone shed some information on this? Thanks.

 

[jimscott]

Wow, I didn't know they can grow naturally that far north, without intervention. I would propose that both NJ and Delaware are Atlantic Coast and are moderated, relative to parts of Kentucky, which are part of the Appalachian Mountains and thus colder.

 

[Mokele]

Mine survived a Cincinnati winter, so I fail to see why they couldn't deal with one in KY.

Mokele

 

[Dr. Frank Lyons]

Interesting. If Cincy, then maybe here. But, they are not listed as any wild growth here in KY. I didn't hear of any surviving in Dayton when I lived there for two years. I may get some guts and try this. Thanks for the replies.

 

[Mokele]

Quote[/b] ]But, they are not listed as any wild growth here in KY. I didn't hear of any surviving in Dayton when I lived there for two years.

Well, the wild range of a species isn't the limit of the areas they can survive in; certain perfectly viable habitats may remain uncolonized due to barriers to dispersion such as mountains or simply because there's too much distance between suitable habitats.

Mokele

 

[Dr. Frank Lyons]

I will have to check on this since we have a lot of Limestone here.

 

[Pyro]

Any VFT colony growing ex situ to the Carolinas is neither "natural" nor "wild". They are transplants and I personally do not find that to be ecologically friendly thing to do. Even the most innocuous seeming species can become a problem (kudzu, tamarisk, cane toad, coqui, japanese eel... )

If you want to grow VFTs (or any CP) outdoors in KY (or anywhere else for that matter) do it in a pot or a mini-bog or a bog garden.

 

[scottychaos]

Quote[/b] (Mokele @ May 01 2006,3:50)]Mine survived a Cincinnati winter, so I fail to see why they couldn't deal with one in KY.

Mokele

for how many years?
if the answer is "one" then sorry, but thats not revelant,
since this past winter was unusually mild..not at all typical.

Scot

 

[Mokele]

Mild as it was, the lows weren't too much lower than normal, there were just more warm days. In terms of temperature damage, I suspect they'll be fine next winter too, but we'll see. From a purely selfish POV, I only really care if they get through next winter, because after that I'll be elsewhere and have a different winter to acclimate them to.

Also, I recently bought the e-book from cobraplant.com, and they showed pots of flytraps absolutely frozen solid, then coming back in perfect form the next year (which is actually what inspired me to leave my plants outside rather than put them in the fridge. Anecdotally, the plants seem a lot more vigorous this spring than last.

I actually split my fltrap into 4 this year, so perhaps next winter I'll put two outside and two in the fridge, and see which does better the next growing season.

Mokele

 

[glider14]

what part of Kentucky do you live in? im in louisville. are you going to the derby? Cincinatii is farther towards the Apalachins than louisville so i think it MIGHT survive. BTW was anybody ever noticed that nobody grows CPs (on the forum) in kentucky Anoxos, me and the doc are the only ones...

. good luck im going to try my luck with VFTs and S flava this summer so wish me luck
alex

 

[tommyr]

Two words, Micro climates. Possible no?

Tom