North American Pitcher Plants in California - WIP

[jamesp]

Apr 8, 2014 10:48:28 GMT -5 stephent said:

Yep...those are Gum Trees.. I have them all over the yard and woods around here. One over in the South-West corner of my place is so big it takes 3 grown people to reach around it. Huge tree. Probably where all the "smaller" only 2ft diameter trees came from since this place was a open field 40 years ago and that big tree was the only tree for 100's of feet.
Quick growers... I left one about 3" in diameter and 12' tall right in front of the house when I cleared the land for a house and yard...it's now 18" in diameter and 50'-60' tall after 14 years. We won't talk about the pesky lawnmower blade eating roots or the small but spikey balls.

Laughing at the Californians stephant. They planted them, excuse me, the city planted them and make them get a permit to cut them(if they even grant the permit).
Dry ground = monster roots= the perfects storm = very amusing haha. They grow 200 feet a year. And the wood weighs as much as petrified wood. And burn like a
wet rag. I would girdle them(cut the bark all the way around) and watch them die. That's what beavers do.
I am sure the city wanted a fast grower and to keep the citizens active and in good shape filling 200 gallon trash cans w/the balls every other week.
They do burn good if you preheat them w/nuclear reactor. ribs getting sore from laughing haha

[stephent]

Girdling them won't work...had one young boy scrape and cut ALL the bark off all the way around one that was 8"-10" in diameter for 3' up n down...it's growing quite well out in the west side yard....still...and the bark is grown back! Had a BIG bolt of lightening hit the big tree 100' away from my house in front yard... didn't even split the bark. Although it did blow out a few blackish spots in the roots running on top of the ground...it's still thriving 3 years later. If ya split them with a big wood splitter and let the split wood sit for 3 or 4 years drying out a bit...start the fire with some good Hickory or Oak...then throw on the Gum, it's possible to get it lit up.. burns fairly quick with little heat.. But they do make some good shade....dense shade!..normal burmuda grass won't hardly grow anywhere under the all day long shadow outline of the tree. Neither will Roses...Iris's..Lilacs.. but if ya trim them a bit so at least some sunlight will come thru at some hour of the day...the Azaleas like it.

[jamesp]

stephant: Get a hatchet and chop a 2 inch band around the tree. You have to remove the bark and then go about 3/4 inch into the trunk. This guy is doing it with a saw.

[Deleted]

If I wanna kill a tree and it's not mine to simply cut down, I just put a small trench 4" deep all the way around and then below grade put in a copper roofing nail every inch, all the way around. Then put the dirt back. Wait a year = dead tree standing. Then the city is responsible for the dead tree removal. If they put another back I do the same. After a third dead tree the city will stop replacing thinking it just a "bad spot".

I guess they are correct!

[Deleted]

I have also "fertilized" the smaller new trees with foliar (leaf absorbed) fertilizer. Neighboirs all thought it bizarre how that tree died a week after fertilizing hmmmm.....

Ooooopsie, maybe I coulda, sorta, maybe I used roundup instead!

bwaaaahahahahahaaaaaa

[jamesp]

Sounds like a plan. Fertilizer will do a good job.

Shallow rooted trees are great for erosion control. Absorbing nutrients like phosphates, nitrates and ammoniates.
The city is appeasing jurisdictional operations like the EPA. One government agency getting points from another.
At the cost of the resident. The gum tree does the EPA's job well. But causes grief for the resident that has to maintain a messy tree
with massive exposed roots.

If i had property that had frontage on a highway I would plant P. Bisseti bamboo. That stuff runs like crazy. I get a fence and they can maintain it
when it encroaches on their ROW.

[Deleted]

Todays addition to the work in progress.


Pitcher's nearly as tall as the flowers. Everybody looks good. New seeds starting too.

Dang, I need utricularia. We have a native, may hunt this weekend.

[jamesp]

Looks like you may get a case of addiction. Well done man.

[Pat]

Scott , your plants look great! I think they require more heat than we have been getting.

Was in the 80s two days in a row, and I swear I noticed my one bud was bigger between morning and evening. I have only one bud. Everything else is hibernating.

It does sound like you are developing a carnivorous addiction. Enjoy!

[jamesp]

Have not seen much of Scott lately

[rockpickerforever]

Apr 8, 2014 11:52:30 GMT -5 jamesp said:

Laughing at the Californians stephant. They planted them, excuse me, the city planted them and make them get a permit to cut them(if they even grant the permit).
Dry ground = monster roots= the perfects storm = very amusing haha. They grow 200 feet a year. And the wood weighs as much as petrified wood. And burn like a
wet rag. I would girdle them(cut the bark all the way around) and watch them die. That's what beavers do.
I am sure the city wanted a fast grower and to keep the citizens active and in good shape filling 200 gallon trash cans w/the balls every other week.
They do burn good if you preheat them w/nuclear reactor. ribs getting sore from laughing haha

Keep it up, laughing boy.  Hope your ribs are still hurting!  Unless we take matters into our own hands (like Scott does), we live with the decisions that the idiots in the city make - for better or for worse.  A love/hate relationship.  I guess that's just one way for them to spend the money we pay in taxes...  I'm actually in the county, not city of SD, so they are not so heavy-handed on us out here.  We are like the ugly step-children, but we still pay taxes, too.

Apr 9, 2014 20:35:06 GMT -5 @shotgunner said:

Dang, I need utricularia. We have a native, may hunt this weekend.

Scott, you are having mosquito problems? Go to Home Depot or Lowes, and buy a six pack of "Mosquito Dunks."  They cost around $10.  They are a biological control, containing BT (Bacillus thuringiensis ).  Just break off a little piece and add to the standing water.  I use them in places I can't put the gambusia.

I can't believe the size you have on those plants!  The one larger bud I had opened and the petals have now wilted.  The smaller bud is still pea sized, no change in a while.  But that plant is also smaller, and looks like it may be a different flavor.  Pitchers on both of those plants are developing, and should be open and functioning soon.  I had a thought on attracting bugs.  Recently, I was fertilizing the garden with fish emulsion.  As I was mixing it into the water, the smell of it was attracting flies, who just couldn't resist dive bombing into it.  If I notice a deficiency in available food bugs, I'm going to put a small amount of the fish emulsion in a little dish, and set it on the surface of the peat moss.  Maybe put a piece of fabric to keep them out of it, so they don't get covered in it, and then go into a pitcher.  Don't think the pitchers could handle that.

Apr 10, 2014 7:55:38 GMT -5 jamesp said:

Have not seen much of Scott lately

You're telling me!  He is a bizzy, bizzy bee these days.

[jamesp]

Life is not always fair as you well know Jean. The balls are also called 'witche's balls' or 'witche's burrs'.

a reminder as to how they look



I guess this is a 'witche's wreath'



And yet again another reminder-in sparkles !!



This one is still fleshy. They are good weapons since they are heavy when green.



Here are some wet ones...



And last, but not least, a circle of them.

[rockpickerforever]

James, I've seen plenty of them, don't need to be reminded, lol!  And yes, I'm quite aware that life is not fair...

Anyway (anyways?), was going to post a pic of the wilted flower.  Hopefully, this signals that pollination was successful, and that seeds will start to develop.  Or maybe it just got too hot (97 degrees) and got seared? Photo taken on April 8. 

You can see the top of one of the developing pitchers to the right.  James, do you have any idea what flavor this one is?  Have one other smaller one, that is green w/red-colored splotches on it.  That's the one that has the small bud on it - still.  Gotta be a different kind?

EDIT:  James you were adding more pics as I was posting.  Yes, I can see the possibilities for crafts, Christmassy decorations, that sort of thing.  Personally, I like how they look after I run over them with my truck... flat.  The birds really like picking the seeds out of them.  Just great - leaves, balls, seeds and birdsh!t on the cars parked underneath.  Glad it's not at my house.

[Deleted]

sticker bombs! They hurt!

[jamesp]

Looks like a flava Jean. The petals do not last long. i would say they have had their day. I think i got yours out of the flava stock.

[snuffy]

Not in North America,but was reading about this rat eater pitcher plant discovered in the Philippines!




Thought this was recent,but see now its old news,still interesting.

snuffy

[Deleted]

Apr 11, 2014 21:22:40 GMT -5 snuffy said:

Not in North America,but was reading about this rat eater pitcher plant discovered in the Philippines!




Thought this was recent,but see now its old news,still interesting.

snuffy

Snuffy, those are in the genus Nepenthes. Google it for images and see some truly remarkable flora.

If the Sarracenia works out for me, I may dive into some Nepenthes too. Because of my weather I can grow things Jim cannot in the frozen south.

[jamesp]

some sarracenia blooms(blooms of death) Nikon D70 Nikkor f2.8-4 zoom 24-85mm on macro setting
Tarnok

Purpurea cross

native luec's




alata

[jamesp]

Nature is cold and cruel. Spider web and ole 'big' throat. Double threat

[jamesp]

Back side of young Judith Hindle pitchers. The redder on is a week older. as theory age they will turn darker red.

Front side of same