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Darlingtonia "Mountain Form"

One of my seedling D. californica has been producing mature pitchers for a while, the only one out of around 50 or so that has yet to produce the snake pitchers, and has begun showing some color.



Hopefully soon the rest will follow suit, and considering they're growing in relatively low light, once they get put into brighter conditions hopefully the colorful ones will show some real promise.
 
That's very impressive Hcarlton!

Darlingtonia are not the easiest plants to grow out from seed.

Just curious to know how old your seedlings are and if you grow them under lights.

The young seedlings of these plants can easily fry under lights.

What temps did you grow these under to avoid this happening to them.

Great growing there! :)



dvg
 
If I remember correctly, these guys are only around a year or so old, started sometime last year. They are under lights, but this pot is currently in a rather shady corner, and not receiving the best it could be (that will change soon as things get moved around). As for temps, not really sure what they experience in that corner, but throughout the year the greenhouse will fluctuate from low 60's winter nights to mid 80's, low 90's on summer days. The shelf level they're on probably is 5 degrees lower than that.
Curiously, these are the only seeds I really have luck with. The Darlingtonia Siskiyou Co. seeds I have yet to keep a sprout alive long enough to produce pitchers, but I think that may be because they keep getting shaded out by unwanted moss.
Also, mountain form plants are relatively tough when it comes to temps, as long as the roots are a little cooler, and aerated. the pot they're in is a tall ceramic, hand made by me, with holes spiraling around the outside.
 
Did these come from my giveaway? that is some impressive progress in such a short time.
 
Thanks for the info Hcarlton.

Thanks to you and this thread, I've decided to try my hand at growing these out from seed, after seeing the amazing success that you've had with your Cobra seedlings.



dvg
 
Great job, HC. Really great to see someone having success with these from seed.
 
Pebes, they might be from your seeds, I tend to have a horrible memory about what seeds come from where. I certainly wasn't expecting mature pitchers yet, though, thinking they would need at least a couple years, and at least one dormancy period first, but I was wrong :)
 
Dat mountain form! Great job.

I have not had much success growing Darlingtonia at all, mature or otherwise. It looks like you are taking on the challenge with ease.
 
double post



dvg
 
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  • #10
That plant producing the mature looking pitchers must be one robust clone.

HC, you have sufficiently inspired me to grow this species out from seed.

I now have five different sets of Darlingtonia seed sitting in cold stratification in my fridge.

You said you had more difficulty with seeds from Siskiyou.

One of my seed sets is called Giant Plant from the Siskiyou Mts, Del Norte Co. California.

I also am trying out two sets of seed from the Sierra Nevada Mts. in California - Plumas Co. and Nevada Co.

As well, I have seed stratifying from the Gasquet, California location listed at 100m in elevation.

Although these plants grow in both Oregon and California, I only have seeds listed with California locales.

Also in cold strat, are a bunch of "Red Tongues", with no locale info, so these might be from someone's plant in cultivation, I'm not sure.

It will be interesting to see how the Mountain varieties fare against the lower elevation Gasquet seedlings.



dvg
 
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  • #11
I'd be wary of any labels like "red tongue," since from any one batch you might end up with numerous color forms. I'm thinking the Siskiyou seeds I have may just be old (and now you've got me thinking about getting some other localities too, like Gasquet).
 
  • #12
Although these plants grow in both Oregon and California, I only have seeds listed with California locales.

dvg

Oregon prohibits collecting or trimming(as well as transporting or selling) any parts of the plant on public lands. California has weighed protections in the past but doesn't have any prohibitions in place that i know of.
 
  • #13
That would explain the lack of Oregon seed locales Pebes.

When I was looking at maps of Darlingtonia distribution in Oregon and California, the species ran up the entire Oregon coast, almost to Washington state, with one further inland pocket, I believe.

California distribution sites were shown as inland pockets in the mountains, with some brief coastal activity where California merges into Oregon.

I wonder if there is much difference between the northern coastal Oregon plants and the more mountainous California plants.





dvg
 
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  • #14
There is in how they grow. Mountain plants are far more tolerant of high temperatures, low humidity, fluctuations in water level, etc. The coastal forms are used to constant cold water, low temps, high humidity, etc. and expect it in cultivation, at least from all I've read.
 
  • #15
I'd be wary of any labels like "red tongue," since from any one batch you might end up with numerous color forms. I'm thinking the Siskiyou seeds I have may just be old (and now you've got me thinking about getting some other localities too, like Gasquet).

Yeah, I would be expecting some variation in any seed lot.

As for the label "Red Tongues", I would assume that the mother plant, that the seeds were collected from, would have the blood red fishtail appendage.

Barry Rice is his CP book mentioned different variances in pigmentation patterns with these plants.

One type pattern he labled as "Crimson fangs", describing them as "fabulously beautiful".

There is in how they grow. Mountain plants are far more tolerant of high temperatures, low humidity, fluctuations in water level, etc. The coastal forms are used to constant cold water, low temps, high humidity, etc. and expect it in cultivation, at least from all I've read.

In the first edition of The Savage Garden, the author notes that most Darlingtonia in cultivation are the coastal variety.

That may explain some the problems these plants are having in cultivation.

It seems the coastal variants have a narrower window of tolerance than the mountain varieties do.

Whereas, the mountainous forms can experience summertime highs into the high 90s, and on the other hand experiencing snow loads in the winter.

The coastal forms, average a consistent 67F according to one source I read.

So, although the coastal types experience less drastic temperature swings, they also seem to be less tolerant of being outside their narrow comfort zone.





dvg
 
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  • #16
No seedlings to post up yet, but do have this seed factory currently under construction.



Hopefully, in a few months time i'll be seeing seedlings springing up from my own plant. :)




dvg
 
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  • #17
It' not really bright light yet, but some taller plants were moved outside and the seedlings are receiving more light than before. And it shows, there are red streaks on the dome and the tongues are blushing.
 
  • #19
Those are looking good. I have my own first batch starting up right now.
 
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