Other plants and aquarium

[Dorchid]

About 6 days from noticing the bud to open…still has a bit to go. Beautiful hot pink with some variegation and dark pink/purple blotches in the throat. About the size of a nickel.

[wisdomseeker]

P. moranensis has always been one of my favorite butterworts. They produce simple flowers that are colorful and elegant.

The entire shape, and form, of this plant is very appealing to me (especially when mature and the leaves also start taking on different color hues with shades of pink and red).

Nice job indeed! Have also appreciated the way you have shown the plant transforming from a fledgling, into a full- flight adult.

[WaterWitchin]

Indeed wisdomseeker! What inspiration! Dorchid… is this one I could grow? Does it have an off/dormant season like a VFT, or it just grows? It’s wonderful!! :

[Dorchid]

Thanks, wisdomseeker! I agree 100%. I never had a real interest in butterworts but they are now my favorite for all the reasons you stated. Love them!

@ WW - You can definitely grow them! This is a Mexican butterwort so it has a winter rest but not true dormancy. These plants are heterophyllous in that they have sticky carnivorous leaves in the summer and small non-carnivorous, succulent-like leaves in the winter. They should get less water in the winter and kept moist in the summer. They are easily propagated via leaf pulling from either leaf type. They grow on limestone in the wild and prefer a mineral based and basic substrate. I’ve been using peat, pumice and perlite with a dash of oyster shell. They’re kind of pricey online….I’ll send you one once my current round of leaf pullings get going! If you don’t want to wait, check ebay…usually a variety available.

[WaterWitchin]

Originally Posted by Dorchid

Thanks, wisdomseeker! I agree 100%. I never had a real interest in butterworts but they are now my favorite for all the reasons you stated. Love them!

@ WW - You can definitely grow them! This is a Mexican butterwort so it has a winter rest but not true dormancy. These plants are heterophyllous in that they have sticky carnivorous leaves in the summer and small non-carnivorous, succulent-like leaves in the winter. They should get less water in the winter and kept moist in the summer. They are easily propagated via leaf pulling from either leaf type. They grow on limestone in the wild and prefer a mineral based and basic substrate. I’ve been using peat, pumice and perlite with a dash of oyster shell. They’re kind of pricey online….I’ll send you one once my current round of leaf pullings get going! If you don’t want to wait, check ebay…usually a variety available.

I would LOVE to just wait! So I could use the same mix I used for the sarracenia? Peat, perlite, and some sphag thrown in? I have oyster shell for the chickens and could incorporate as well. Or I have a cool little rock that looks like pumice. I could try that as well. I'll find the rock and take a picture!

[Dorchid]

Actually, I have a nice one which could reach flowering size next year to send. In retrospect, it would be a long wait on pullings I’ll shoot you a pm. I’d leave out sphag and use sand instead. There’s a lot of different combinations used and one just kinda has to play with the mix to see what works best for them. They do prefer ro/distilled water and tend to do well in the tray method (sitting in a bit of water). Test your rock by sitting it in a tray of water…if it wicks all the way up, it’s good…that way you don’t have to water the rock, just refill the tray or saucer. Here’s my pumice after a month. The pings all look good with the offsets looking like they will do just fine. Amazing how much dormant moss was on this thing. Really cool just with the moss alone! If anyone is looking for good pumice, tweshure_hunter on eBay has a bunch of great specimens for sale.

[WaterWitchin]

Oh MY! Imma go find my rock and start soaking it RIGHT NOW! How stinkin' exciting is this?!?

[Dorchid]

Did the rock wick? I’ll try to get it mailed this week.

[WaterWitchin]

Originally Posted by Dorchid

Did the rock wick? I’ll try to get it mailed this week.

Appears to be. It's about halfway up rock since last night. Does it look okay?





And how do I attach the plant? Just stick it on top of the rock and it starts creepy crawling its roots in? Should I go out and find some moss to put with it?

---------- Post added at 10:58 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:55 AM ----------

PS I'm not positive it's pumice, but it sure looks like it. I have a pretty severe addiction to picking up rocks and bringing them home.

[Dorchid]

Very cool rock! As long as it wicks it should be good! Yeah, you just kind of find a nook to set the plant in. If there’s a hole, you can kind of bunch the roots together and try to get them down in there. Left undisturbed, it will eventually secure itself. You can also put a bit of carnivorous soil mix in the pocket around the roots to help hold it in place.