Carnivorous plants

[Shdwdrgn]

I've always loved carnivorous plants, but never had much luck growing them, and every type I've seen have been rated for zones 7-9, completely intolerant of the hard freezes we get here, so having them around my pond would be impossible... Last night my luck changed, and I found TWO types of plants that are cold-hardy.

Drosera rotundifolia is a sundew style plant hardy to zone 3 (-40F).
Sarracenia purpurea is a pitcher plant hardy all the way to zone 2, and has been found growing as far North as the Arctic.

Both of these are bog plants, preferring their roots in the water, but the bulb of the plant to remain dry. They also prefer an acidic water to grow in, which is a problem for me. My pond pH tends to stay in the upper 7's, so I'm wondering what options I have? I plan on making a bed with a mixture of pea-gravel and peat moss at the top of my waterfall. The peat should help lower the pH immediately around the plant roots, but will this be enough? What other considerations are critical to their survival?

Beyond keeping the plants alive, does anyone have suggestions for other low-lying bog plants that would nicely co-exist with the carnivorous plants? I won't have a lot of area, maybe 2-3 square feet at the most, but it still might be nice to have a couple other plants in the mix to create a more natural assorted look.

 

[addy1]

The ones in my bog are growing with water forget me not. They are just in pea gravel, my ph tends to be low. They are always wet.

My carnivorous bog is made of peat moss and sand. It cycles between wet and sort of dry then wet again, (when I remember to water the bog)

The peat moss will introduce a brownish color to your water. If you use peat, maybe put the bog plants into a pot so it remains wet but keeps the peat moss out of the pond. Bottom holes in the pot. I have some cobra pitchers in an oil pan with peat moss, covered with pea gravel, just buried low enough to have water flow over the pan. But the peat stays in the pan.

 

[Shdwdrgn]

Did you grow them from seed, or get live plants? I found some great prices on seeds, so I thought maybe I could sprinkle some in various places and see what grows.

 

[Steve knight]

I use peat and perlite.
You can go colder on the Sarracenia species if you mulch them well.

 

[addy1]

Did you grow them from seed, or get live plants? I found some great prices on seeds, so I thought maybe I could sprinkle some in various places and see what grows.

I have some started from seed, very very slow growing. They are maybe 1/4 inch with tiny leaves, started them in march. Also have a few bought as live plants, they are slowly adjusting. This is the cobras. The others I picked up as live plants

 

[addy1]

here is my backyard one, will get you a shot of the front yard one later.

All baby plants just planted this spring.

 

[Steve knight]

here are my indoor ones. can't get the pic to show all the dew on the sundews but they are loaded. got a staghorn sundew with the forked braches. some butterwarts blooming and two young pitcher plants.

 

[j.w]

Those are really cool and wow that last one is a real man-eater.............I'd watch my hand there if I were you addy :lol:

 

[Shdwdrgn]

Those are all really nice plants. The carnivorous plants just have such a neat look to them, and its just one more thing to add that 'oh wow' factor to your yard.

I didn't know the seeds took so long to grow. That's rather disappointing. I haven't been able to find the pitcher plants for less than $10 each (and they were out of stock), and I can't seem to find this type of sundew for sale either as a plant or seeds. Gonna have to keep searching...

 

[Steve knight]

I get them from http://cobraplant.com but he is local and I save shipping. his plants are really healthy and very well packed. but as you found they are expensive. the outdoor sundews are little guys. the seeds are really slow.

 

[addy1]

Here are the two that were end of year plants, just planted in the bog the blue forgetmenots, must have been in their pots.

This is the cobra, slowly growing, the seedlings, you have to look close are little red stems to the left of the cobra, two below it, one mid, and one higher up on the left. They have been growing since march

 

[Steve knight]

I hope to get some bladderworts this weekend. those are the floating version of these bug eaters.

 

[Shdwdrgn]

Steve knight - sounds interesting, you'll have to post some pictures when you get them. I've never heard of floating carnivorous plants.

 

[Steve knight]

will do may get them saturday.

 

[addy1]

neat looking forward to the pictures, what zone are they rated for?