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Sarracenia oreophila. Strange Fellow!!!!!!!

Over the years a few observations on S. oreophila, a plant that behaves like few other pitcher plants. Mostly I just want to talk about the coloration aspect of the plant. Lets start with a few examples:

1.) A plant given to me by Joe Mazrimas, co-founder of the ICPS and CPN, was termed all green. Growing points were red so it was not anthocyanin free. Just the same, this plant was in Joe's greenhouse for many years, without so much as one small vein. It received about 4 to 5 hrs of sun per day, and retained a bright, crisp, lettuce green. I asked for a peice of this specimen, and Joe, being the kind soul he is, gave me a good sized piece of rhizome. I brought it home knowing that it only had about a month left before dormancy. It now lived in 9 hours of sunlight. Before the month was out, light red veins appeared in the hood.
The following year, it was covered with red veins, though moderately so. 9 hrs. of sun made it look nice! The collection was moved in February, 2006 to an area getting 14 hrs direct sun per day. When the first leaf came up and opened, BAM! Suddenly we became heavily veined with bright red veins, and developed a beautiful red flush over the plant. It was then I found out its locale. Towns County, Ga. I also asked Joe, "Do your red tubes turn red in this shaded greenhouse?" He advised me they indeed did, and outside in bright sun, or inside his greenhouse, they gradually came to all red within a certain length of time. 4 hours a day= green s. oreophila. 9 hours a day= moderate veining in red. 14 hours a day= Heavily veined, and red flushed. Same plant, different lengths of time in sunlight, different results. If I gave it 4 hours again, shaded the rest of the day, I would end up with an all green again. Whereas, my S. f. var. rubricorpora would gradually darken to all red as it was supposed to.
2.) Another clone, Ron Lanes clone #2, came to me described as lightly veined. In my all day sun environment, it went from light to moderate/heavy veins and was quite the showoff! Ron reported to me it grew the same way year after year, in the same spot, roughly 7 hours of sun, lighly veined. In my area, the sun hit one place in my yard for up to 14 hours. According to how much sun it got, seemed to transfer to how much color it could produce in that particular clone. Ron's other clone, #1, did the same thing. From Light veins to moderate veining, and purple. Clone #2 took on purple in the throat. Ron thought it was mismarked because it didn't look like his own clone #2. So he moved his S. oreophila clone #2 into a sunnier location, and the same started to happen to him. More veins appeared given the amount of light it received. Now in a way this is very strange because most S. f. var. rubricorpora will go red in only 4 hours of direct sun. Well, anyway, mine do. But S. oreophila will only get as much veining as sun is given. Some won't change because that's the way it is with genetics. But most of the s. oreophila here, have lived here for a while, and haven't been disturbed, just watered, the only change was from 8 hours of direct light per day, to 14. The changes have been outrageous! As they settle into the new growing spot, I can only imagine what they will end up looking like later this season. I wonder how many do have more to show in the color and beauty of S. oreophila in this little backyard peace of heaven.
#.) Getting tired of poking thse keys. Suffice it to say, observation, experimentation, much light, little light, can garner a big difference in the overall appearance of this species.
 
I would test it myself under MH but my babes were washed away after all of the rain we were inundated with after the lake rose :( I can say they when I had them they were much redder at the lake than the deck.


I need to find a couple of plants to do this with and report my findings. I need to call a man up in Oregon and ask about it with my next order.





Do you think this could be true to other "green" Sarracenia and no one has ever tested it yet?
 
JLAP, that is hard to say, but folks need to know that all pitcher plants are NOT the same, and things work differently per species. What might be true to one, is not necessarily true to another species. Experiment with it when you can, and post the results. This has been borne out a little with Ron Lane doing a move with his own plants. My results are pretty nice to look at. Try it. See what you get.
 
Oh lol, I believe you in case I came off suspicious lol. I just wanted to do it myself lol.

...Piccies?
 
My pics are where they always are. Stickied in the pitcher plant forum. I wouldn't mind seeing yours as they change.
 
Ohhh ok.

I've got to get a couple first :) then i'll post pics :)
 
bugweed, are you a sarr collecter?
just curious
 
Leewoojin, What the heck is a sarr????? To find out, read the sticky's in the part of this page that directs you to other articles and such. At the top of the page, you will find three pic threads with the name Bugweed in it. Open them and take a look. Any questions, e-mail or PM me. I will answer any question you may have. If you have trouble, give me a shout. We will work on it from there.
 
BTW, JLAP. If you live in Georgia, then NO ONE out of state can sell you S. oreophila. Against Federal Law, you know. They can be gifted, but not traded, sold, or anything else from out of state. Believe me, you don't wanna mess with the Feds. However, you have growers in Georgia who just might take pity on your plight. GOOD LUCK!!!!!
 
  • #10
I have a pretty nice sized one that I'm really hoping pulls through the winter, when I got it, it was pretty small with only a few leaves but it really took off when I got it settled in!

I got it from Cook's! For free! He even threw in a large pot for me to pot it in! ^_^

As far as coloring goes... Mine is mostly a mix of red/orange with green bases. I like the coloring a lot. It gets light from sunrise... until about 1 PM so that's about 7 hours of light I'd say. I didn't really know that it changed colors depending on it's light. It's odd.
 
  • #11
Chron, give it a full days sun. 12 to 14 hours, and see what what changes it DOES go through. I watched mine for years in various light situations, and all day sun brought out color I never even knew was there.
 
  • #12
BTW, JLAP. If you live in Georgia, then NO ONE out of state can sell you S. oreophila. Against Federal Law, you know. They can be gifted, but not traded, sold, or anything else from out of state. Believe me, you don't wanna mess with the Feds. However, you have growers in Georgia who just might take pity on your plight. GOOD LUCK!!!!!



Oh I know this. I was going to ask for it as a gift.

I feel bad asking for free stuff but it's all you can do with this plant and others.
 
  • #13
Ahh, I don't think I could give it that much light. ^^;

It's a little too big for a terrarium right now. It'll be even bigger when it wakes up.
 
  • #14
hey Bug, I don't have a pic right now, but I just repotted a bunch of 1 year seedlings from "mixed forms" seed that originated with you. They get about 6 hours of direct sun. So far they all look about the same. Green and red with a few brown dried leaves here and there.. I think I'll give it a few years ;)

Peter
 
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