# My carnivorous plant collection.



## SEB

Some of the carnivorous plants I grow. I mostly grow Sarracenia hybrids and Dionea

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## SEB

Some more of my carnivores. Some Drosera and a few Nepenthes.






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## Tarantel

I like those sack ones. The venus flytraps (I think) are cool too.


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## ArachnidJackson

This is pretty awesome! Thanks for sharing


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## syndicate

Very cool!Did you grow them all from seeds?
-Chris


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## bravesvikings20

No disrespect intended....do you ever worry about housing them outside like that? More so worried about passing people.


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## Ran

Beautiful! You have a wonderful green thumb! I'm good at raising lawns...thats all! I'm terrible with plants...


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## SEB

bravesvikings20 said:


> No disrespect intended....do you ever worry about housing them outside like that? More so worried about passing people.


I have a closed off third floor balcony, so I don't worry about people walking by unless they are 30 feet tall. 

As for the plants being outside, that is where they belong. If you do your research, you will find that _Sarracenia_ and _Dionea_ are warm temperate plants that naturally occur in the South Eastern regions of the US. Some_ Serracenia _are even found as far north as Canada and New Jersey. They do not belong in some hot steamy jungle or in a terrarium. My plants have been thriving for years outside. There are a couple exceptions where a terrarium would be necessary, such as _Heliamphora_ and ultra highland _Nepenthes_. I do not keep either of these.

---------- Post added 11-19-2011 at 01:31 PM ----------




syndicate said:


> Very cool!Did you grow them all from seeds?
> -Chris


The _Serracenia_ take a very long time to mature from seed. Ususally it takes about 5 to 6 years so it is much easier to acquire root cutting from other collectors and growers. Some of my _Serracenia_, not pictured, I had my friend tissue culture from seed for me. It is much faster growing from seed this way. Half of my Venus Flytraps are from seed. The other half are tissue cultured.

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## beetleman

wow! awesome collection,hmm kinda thinking in getting into carniv.plants. so many variaties.

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## SEB

beetleman said:


> wow! awesome collection,hmm kinda thinking in getting into carniv.plants. so many variaties.


Yeah you should! They are really interesting and fun challenge to grow.


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## bigjej

I've experimented with some here and there but have not been able to find a good source. Mostly the basics from the HD' and lowes. Any recommendations for a good source as well as growing info?


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## SEB

bigjej said:


> I've experimented with some here and there but have not been able to find a good source. Mostly the basics from the HD' and lowes. Any recommendations for a good source as well as growing info?


As far as a good source on the internet for Venus Flytraps I would recommend www.flytrapcare.com

There are a lot of really well written articles on the culivation of Venus Flytraps as well as other carnivorous plants. For other carnivorous plants, I would visit the International Carnivorous Plant Society website. They have a really great forum with lots of good information.

If you are looking to purchase any, I would not recommend Lowes or Home Depot because they don't really know how to take care of them and are usually on the verge of death by the time you get it home.

These are two highly recommended sources for purchasing carnivorous plants:

www.flytrapstore.com
www.californiacarnivores.com


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## Reptiliatus

Loving the Cephalotus ! That one is a little treasure! Mine is a little over 2 years old now.

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## SEB

Reptiliatus said:


> Loving the Cephalotus ! That one is a little treasure! Mine is a little over 2 years old now.


Thanks! It is one of my favorites. This is my first year growing them and they are growing like weeds! I am going to post some up dated pictures tomorrow.


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## dactylus

Thank you for this extremely interesting thread and the informational links.  I think that there will be a few new carnivorous plant additions to our household!

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## SEB

*Photo Update*

Took some pictures today and thought I'd give everyone an update. The_ Sarracenia _and_ Dionea _exhibit their best color right before dormancy. Lots of nice deep reds and rosetted growth.

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## SEB



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## SEB



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## SEB

Some more pictures

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## dactylus

WOW!!  Beautiful photos!

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## Walk Alone

That is a very nice collection that you have.  You obviously have a lot of time vested into it.  Really pretty.

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## ArachnidJackson

Merely gorgeous! I wish I could see them in person.


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## catfishrod69

those are very beautiful...i had a venus fly trap once...turns out it needs to eat...

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## SEB

catfishrod69 said:


> those are very beautiful...i had a venus fly trap once...turns out it needs to eat...


Surprisingly that is usually not the case. The main two reasons people's Venus Flytraps die are because they water them with water that has a higher TDS than 50ppm and not giving them enough light. VFT can go over a year without eating anything. Flies are not a source of energy for the plant. They get their energy from the sun through photosynthesis. Flies are merely a form of fertilizer.

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## catfishrod69

hmm..that might of been it then..i picked one up a long time ago, before i knew much about plants...





SEB said:


> Surprisingly that is usually not the case. The main two reasons people's Venus Flytraps die are because they water them with water that has a higher TDS than 50ppm and not giving them enough light. VFT can go over a year without eating anything. Flies are not a source of energy for the plant. They get their energy from the sun through photosynthesis. Flies are merely a form of fertilizer.


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## JuliaGulia87

Aw man these are so dang cool!

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## dactylus

Could you possibly "tag" some of your beautiful photos with genus + species name for the plant?  I really love the photos and my wife just became a "carnivorous plant society" member as a Xmas gift!  Thank you!

David

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## pwilson5

SEB said:


> Surprisingly that is usually not the case. The main two reasons people's Venus Flytraps die are because they water them with water that has a higher TDS than 50ppm and not giving them enough light. VFT can go over a year without eating anything. Flies are not a source of energy for the plant. They get their energy from the sun through photosynthesis. Flies are merely a form of fertilizer.


so they kill the bug/fly etc and then just use the bolus as fertilizer?? sweeeeeeet

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## Hendersoniana

SEB said:


> Surprisingly that is usually not the case. The main two reasons people's Venus Flytraps die are because they water them with water that has a higher TDS than 50ppm and not giving them enough light. VFT can go over a year without eating anything. Flies are not a source of energy for the plant. They get their energy from the sun through photosynthesis. Flies are merely a form of fertilizer.


Actually VFT can dont even eat their lifetime and thrive. As you said, food are mainly forms of fertilizers. I like your collection! may i ask what ur cephalotus folicularis is potted in? If im not wrong, i see some perlite and peat moss. I actually had mine potted in pure LFS with water running through its perimeter 24/7 through a pump, however, i just discovered one yellow leaf and a blackening pitcher. I dont know the cause, but i dont want to take the risk so i repotted it in LFS + peat moss.

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## BimBim

very cool, thanks for sharing , never knew they came in so many different colors

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## Stan Schultz

QUOTE=SEB;1957489]... As for the plants being outside, that is where they belong. If you do your research, you will find that _Sarracenia_ and _Dionea_ are warm temperate plants that naturally occur in the South Eastern regions of the US. Some_ Serracenia _are even found as far north as Canada and New Jersey. ...[/quote]

Trust me. There's almost a whole world of difference between living in Canada and living in New Jersey!

My current home town is Calgary, Alberta, Canada (western Canada just east of the Canadian Rockies), and it gets down to -40 (it's the same in F or C) and lower in mid winter every few years. I have seen _Sarracenia_ (northern pitcher plants) and _Drosera_ (sundews) growing in small "hanging" bogs, and _Pinguicula_ (Butterworts) growing along calcareous clay river banks at well over 5000' (1500 m) in Banff National Park. At those elevations that far north it gets #$%^# cold in winter. New Jersey-ites would die up there! (Or move south for the winter as I do!)

Nice collection. I envy you. Where do you live (country, city)?

If I ever settle down again I may try my hand at growing carnivorous plants instead of orchids.





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## SEB

dactylus said:


> Could you possibly "tag" some of your beautiful photos with genus + species name for the plant?  I really love the photos and my wife just became a "carnivorous plant society" member as a Xmas gift!  Thank you!
> 
> David


Yeah, I haven't been on here in a while but Ill try to get them all tagged with genus and species name. That is an awesome Christmas gift!

---------- Post added 12-30-2011 at 04:35 PM ----------




Hendersoniana said:


> Actually VFT can dont even eat their lifetime and thrive. As you said, food are mainly forms of fertilizers. I like your collection! may i ask what ur cephalotus folicularis is potted in? If im not wrong, i see some perlite and peat moss. I actually had mine potted in pure LFS with water running through its perimeter 24/7 through a pump, however, i just discovered one yellow leaf and a blackening pitcher. I dont know the cause, but i dont want to take the risk so i repotted it in LFS + peat moss.


I pot my Cephelotus in 5 parts peat moss, 2 parts perlite, 3 parts silica sand. I keep it on the dry side only watering once every 3 to 4 days depending on how dry the weather is. It has been thriving! I have never tried it but from what I have read planting a Cephalotus in only LFS is not a good idea. Its holds in too much moisture and can cause root rot very easily. My plants seem to do best when kept lightly moist never soggy.  Also, running water through 24/7 is unnecessary and will kill the Ceph. Hope that helps, good luck!

---------- Post added 12-30-2011 at 04:42 PM ----------




Pikaia said:


> QUOTE=SEB;1957489]... As for the plants being outside, that is where they belong. If you do your research, you will find that _Sarracenia_ and _Dionea_ are warm temperate plants that naturally occur in the South Eastern regions of the US. Some_ Serracenia _are even found as far north as Canada and New Jersey. ...


Trust me. There's almost a whole world of difference between living in Canada and living in New Jersey!

My current home town is Calgary, Alberta, Canada (western Canada just east of the Canadian Rockies), and it gets down to -40 (it's the same in F or C) and lower in mid winter every few years. I have seen _Sarracenia_ (northern pitcher plants) and _Drosera_ (sundews) growing in small "hanging" bogs, and _Pinguicula_ (Butterworts) growing along calcareous clay river banks at well over 5000' (1500 m) in Banff National Park. At those elevations that far north it gets #$%^# cold in winter. New Jersey-ites would die up there! (Or move south for the winter as I do!)

Nice collection. I envy you. Where do you live (country, city)?

If I ever settle down again I may try my hand at growing carnivorous plants instead of orchids.





(Uploaded with ImageShack.us)[/QUOTE]

Thank you very much. I take a lot of pride in growing my plants. I live in Marina Del Rey california. It is part of Los Angeles but is on the coast. The weather here stays nice and cool with full sunshine year around.  Winter lows are 45 degrees and summer highs are 90 degrees. Humidity stays between 45% to 80%. It's pretty ideal here for growing a wide range of plants. 

If you ever settle down, let me know and I'll send you some root cuttings.


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## Hendersoniana

I see. My ceph was acually thriving in Sphag moss with water running through their roots. I will try ur method though, seeing how ur ceph is thriving. Im more of a nepenthes person actually, theyre so beautiful! Btw ur weather is perfect for highland nepenthes!


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## Dr Acula

Those pitcher plants are impressive, especially the one with the "spikes"!  If only venus fly traps were easier to care for, I'd have tons of those


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## Rich65

*Butterworts ???*

]Hi everyone,
Just thought I would also suggest butterworts. They are amazing carnivorous plants as well. I have mine in the kitchen window, beautiful green rosettes, catch lots of gnats and have beautiful purple flowers.

RICH

ATTACH]101616[/ATTACH]


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## Robotponys

I'm trying tO get into Pygmy sundews (indoors space limitations), any general advice?


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## SEB

I haven't grown Pinguicula, but they seem very interesting and may do so in the future. All my plants have come out of dormancy and are sending up lots of new pitchers and traps.


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## SEB



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## SEB



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## SEB

Hey everyone. Yesterday was beautiful so I snapped a few shots of my American pitcher plants (Sarracenia). I have also been working on improving my photography which I think has made some progress. 

enjoy.

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## Stan Schultz

SEB said:


> Hey everyone. Yesterday was beautiful so I snapped a few shots of my American pitcher plants (Sarracenia). I have also been working on improving my photography which I think has made some progress.
> 
> enjoy. ...


Indeed, we do!

Your talent for growing these plants is amazing. There's obviously some underling understanding of their requirements that I lacked in the years that I had tried growing them. I think a large part of it is the winter "rest" period.

But, your photography is exceptional. These photos accentuate the translucency of the pitchers and the lids (for want of a better term) that most others completely miss. And, the angle from which you've taken the photos lends a distinct *Wyndham-esque* flavor to the subjects. What's next? Green flashes in the night sky? Three-rooted plants that shamble across the landscape?

Are you performing clandestine genetics experiments in your basement or garage? Do I need to buy an extra large bottle of *2,4-D*?

Keep up the good work!


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## SEB

Pikaia said:


> Indeed, we do!
> 
> Your talent for growing these plants is amazing. There's obviously some underling understanding of their requirements that I lacked in the years that I had tried growing them. I think a large part of it is the winter "rest" period.
> 
> But, your photography is exceptional. These photos accentuate the translucency of the pitchers and the lids (for want of a better term) that most others completely miss. And, the angle from which you've taken the photos lends a distinct *Wyndham-esque* flavor to the subjects. What's next? Green flashes in the night sky? Three-rooted plants that shamble across the landscape?
> 
> Are you performing clandestine genetics experiments in your basement or garage? Do I need to buy an extra large bottle of *2,4-D*?
> 
> Keep up the good work!


Thank you very much!!! Those are some kind words. I am experimenting with some different lighting and will post more pictures of my plants when I get some good shots. I don't edit anything. The pictures are straight out of the camera. No cropping and no brightness/ saturation adjustments out of camera. I try really hard to get the shot right when I'm taking it.

and I assure you, I'm not tampering with any coloration genes. That is way beyond me. Just good culturing by normal means.

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## Stan Schultz

SEB said:


> Thank you very much!!! ...


You're welcome. Job well done!



SEB said:


> ... and I assure you, I'm not tampering with any coloration genes. ...


I wasn't concerned about tampering with color genes. That was a joke referring to John Wyndham's book and the three resulting movies _Day of the Triffids_. If you've never read the book or viewed the movies, you should do so. You'll view your carnivorous plants a little differently afterwards, I promise!

:biggrin:


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## arachnofab

I've never seen pitcher plants grow straight up like that before. Originally I had thought they were a tropical plant or from warmer climates but we have some growing in bog/marsh areas even up here in WI i've seen. Such amazing plants - love carnivorous plants!


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## DETHCHEEZ

Nice...

Noticed you're in LA
I'm just up the way in Long Beach
Shoot me an email if you ever have any extras {plants cuttings pullings} available for trade

Don't have any Sarrs anymore
Kind of mainly do Neps
But always seem to have something interesting laying around

Some of my Carns
http://community.webshots.com/user/EvilGardenGnome

Most recent pics
http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/album/583084592yIcUfP

Eric


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## Pipa

California has ALL the nice plants , beit orchinds , tropicals , cacti/ succulents , or caudex plants .... I miss southern cali climate where you can keep most tropical plants outdoors all year long .


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## MelissaDBrown

Great collection! These plants really do thrive here in Southern California! We are so lucky


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## Akai

Man this is a hobby I could get into.  For some reason I thought it was important to keep these in a terrarium type environment.  So basically you suspend the plant in a container filled with water to provide the humidity?  I want to get some sundews just to deal with gnats that get into your house and lurk in my kitchen.


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## nepenthes

Makes me miss my Carnivorous plant collection! Nice variety you have their!


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## DatMillipede

I live in the middle of a desert, not so good for cps. However, I actually have a nepenthes ovata that survives and pitchers in my living room window. California is certainly blessed with their climate.


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