Question
QUESTION: Hi,

I am in zone 7 in Walnut Cove, NC. My first question is about the three CITES protected sarracenia pitcher species you sale. Are there any plans to sale any of these out of state eventually? My second question regards cobras. I hope to grow these plants in my bog. I've pretty much accepted the likely scenario that because of my hot piedmont summers my cobras probably won't reach the same size as yours. Could I be wrong in this assumption, and if I'm not what would be your guess as to the max. size and height possible out here?

Thanks a bunch!

Daniel

ANSWER: Hi Daniel,

It's really hard to say with the Darlingtonia.  If they have the drainage, and a drip system, they may do very well.  It's pretty normal for days to be in the 90's in Southern Oregon where they come from even though it's cooler at night.

With the endangered Sarracenia, you can probably go to a garden center and find Sarracenia rubra ssp. alabamensis.  It is mass produced by tissue culture and just sold as S. rubra.  So if you see one in a little cube, and the leaves are yellowish, it's probably alabamensis.

S. rubra jonesii and S. oreophila you can purchase from Meadowview Biological Research Station. (http://www.pitcherplant.org/).  We even donated some of the oreophila's to them.  They have the US Fish and Wildlife permits.  We are not likely to have the permits anytime soon.

One nice thing about all the endangered Sarracenia is that they are weeds.  They tend to clump and produce offshoots quickly.

Good Growing!

Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi,

My follow up question regards the Meadowview website you mentioned. I really like the site and they have some great variety like you guys, but they sell their plants bare root. Considering that I want to put my plants in a bog as soon as possible, what should I do to make the transition period easiest when buying bare root plants?

Thanks,
Daniel

Answer
Hi Daniel,

You'll love this answer.  Just buy them bare root and plant them.  This time of year is ideal, and they go through almost no transplanting shock.  Sarracenia are really tough plants.  They can tolerate fairly harsh handling as long as they don't dry out.  We start doing divisions this time of year, and we break them up and throw them in water until we pot them.  Our losses on hundreds of plants is probably less than 1%.

Good Growing!

Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com