Carnivorous Plants

The Conservatory of Flowers in San Francisco is currently running it's carnivorous plant show called "Chomp." The event started in May, and will end November 4th. The plants are on loan from California Carnivores in Sebastopol.

The main plants on display are flytraps, pitchers, sundews and bladderworts. Over 600 types of carnivorous plants have been discovered in existence, although many are now extinct.

Carnivorous plants live on almost every continent (except Antarctica) and in every state in the U.S. Most are rare, and poaching (stealing plants from the wild) is common. Housing developments, the loss of peat bogs (sold as peat moss in stores), acid rain and global warming contribute to the loss of plants. Sadly, only 3-5% remain in the wild.

Q. Why do carnivorous plants capture flies and other insects (and sometime lizards, frogs and small monkeys)?

A. The places that carnivorous plants live are usually low in soil and water nutrients. Over time these plants developed features (leaves) that capture insects to add in their diet.

Types of plants and their trapping methods:
1. The Venus Flytrap: when small trigger hairs on the leaves are touched twice within about 30 seconds, a trap will close within one second. Then, the trap tightens and finally seals.

2. The Pitcher Plant: has small pitchers (actually leaves) that are inviting to insects. Once an insect crawls into the pitcher, it is difficult to crawl back out. Tiny hairs all point downward to the bottom of the plant, which is often filled with digestive juices.

3. The Sundews: these plants have a sticky substance on tentacles attached to their leaves. The "dew" is a mixture of nectar, adhesive compounds and digestive juices. Insects literally stick to them like flypaper.

4. Bladderworts: a curious plant whose interesting behaviour was discovered in 1876 by a woman scientist named Mary Treat. The trap is set by the action of pumping water out of the bladder, resulting in lower water pressure inside. An insect that bumps against the "door" of the bladder triggers the bladder and sucks the insect in within 1/30th of a second! The "door" then shuts behind them, sealing them in forever, BWAH HA HA! (couldn't help that) Scientists are still not exactly sure if the insect is attracted to the plant or just wanders by.

The site below mentions places where you can visit these plants that are complete with boardwalks for viewing. Venus flytraps are indigenous to North and South Carolina. They have been introduced to other states though, and can be found growing in other states.

Growing carnivorous plants isn't easy. I have never tried, but after viewing the exhibit am enthusiastic about purchasing some. It's important to buy plants from reputable nurseries who do not collect specimens from the wild. This link will list several places worldwide that carry specimens checked by a reputable source. http://www.sarracenia.com/faq/faq6280.html

Here is the start of that website for easier navigation: http://www.sarracenia.com/faq.html

above photos by Holly Guenther

Autumn Leaves

Fall is most certainly in the air. Well, at least this week it is! In our area sometimes it's difficult to determine when the coming season will "stick" so to speak. Often the seasons waffle back and forth trying to decide when to get into full swing. Some years we even skip seasons all together, going straight from summer into winter or some such combination.

This year I have a feeling we will be seeing plenty of trees with fall color. Liquidambars, chinese pistache, maples, ginkgo, hackberry, and others should bring many colors into full view.

So why do fall colors happen? The answer has to do with the pigments found in leaves. During most of the year, the pigment (chlorophyll) that gives leaves their green color is dominant. The main way plants make food is through the process of photosynthesis, during which chlorophyll contained in special cells (chloroplasts) teamed with sunlight helps to synthesize food.

The ideal time for the formation of food and chlorophyll is during warm, sunny days. As temperatures begin to drop, food-making wanes and chlorophyll is not replaced. The green color disappears.

Leaves also contain other pigments in their chloroplasts such as carotenoids, anthocyanins and tannins. These pigments are less dominant, and are masked by the green chlorophyll throughout most of the year. Once the chlorophyll breaks down, these other pigments begin to show.

Carotenoids are responsible for yellow to golden colors, anthocyanins for reds, purples and pinks, and the tannins for brown colors. Often a mixture of these pigments also produces color.

photo by Holly Guenther

Drip Irrigation

Although I learned about drip systems in school, I had never installed one until last weekend. I went to a local hardware store and was asked by an elderly gentleman (probably in his mid-70's) if he could help me. When I mentioned drip systems he said "Drip is my middle name." He then escorted me to the back of the store where a myriad of fittings and tubing were stacked.

Mike took a look at me and said with a smile "Let's play." He was a wealth of information and humor, and even had a drip hose set up with all kinds of fittings on it. He showed me how each fitting sprayed or dripped. I drew my yard and he told me how many t-joints and elbows I'd need. I went home feeling confident that I had all the supplies and information for the project.

The installation only took an hour or so. I laid out the tubing as I went around the yard and added t-joints. The parts all fit together simply by using firm pressure to connect them inside each other. Drip fittings were added by using a tool that punched holes in the tubing and helped insert them. I used mostly 2 gallon/hr emitters for the small 1 gallon shrubs I planted. As my plants grow, I'll add more 2 gallon/hr emitters or switch to a 4 gallon/hr emitter.

After finishing the installation, I checked each emitter to be sure it was putting out water. The only problem was a leaky faucet that was easily fixed with the use of an 'o' ring. At this point I haven't decided if I will use a timer or not, but am told battery timers are excellent for drip systems.

My boss (Ed Perry) says the important part of using drip irrigation is to realize that it's a dynamic system. Weather, animals and other events in the landscape cause things to shift or become plugged. Remember to visit your emitters on a regular basis to ensure they are functioning (every week or 2). Otherwise, a dead plant will be the only signal that something is wrong with the system.

For those new to drip, visit a small hardware store or nursery and find someone willing to explain how it works and what you'll need. Then install your landscape and tell me how it goes!
http://anniepoppyseed-gardening.blogspot.com/

California Natives

I recently had the chance to hear Ellen Zagory from of the UC Davis Arboretum speak about natives. I took several classes at Cal Poly on the identification and use of California natives, but haven't had the chance to plant them in a landscape. This talk inspired me to plant some natives in my yard.

I called local nurseries and asked for about the availability of some standard CA native plants like ceanothus, toyon, deer grass (Muhlenbergia*) and California fuschia. The nurserypeople told me they did not carry toyon or CA fuschia as a rule. They could be special ordered though. One nursery carried both ceanothus and deer grass.

The reason standard nurseries and garden centers do not carry CA natives is because of watering. Standard nursery plants come in small, black containers that need frequent watering. Natives are a bit pickier and need less. Most times they are overwatered and die too frequently, which is why nurseries do not carry them.

I visited the nursery that had both deer grass and ceanothus. I'm planting this garden at my mother's house, and she wasn't crazy about the bushy habit of the ceanothus. Sadly, my vision of a California native garden was dissolved into a more dryland climate type of garden. It suits the purpose of my wish for a water-wise garden, but not my desire to plant a bunch of CA natives and see how they grow.

Unfortunately, garden space at my house is limited, so now there is no room for a toyon even if it could be ordered. I am hoping, however, to fit in a few things loved by birds and butterflies in our area such as showy milkweed (Asclepias speciosa), Buckwheat (Erigonum spp), and hopefully I'll be able to order a few California fuschia (Zauschenaria spp).

Here's a link to a good website on water-wise plants that mentions some California natives.
http://www.stopwaste.org/home/index.asp?page=629

*http://www.pechanga-nsn.gov/uploadedcontent/page/427/deer%20grass.jpg

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