FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

August 22, 2010

WIP Snapper Family of Venus Flytraps

Introduction
The WIP Snapper family of Venus Flytraps were originally selected by long-time grower Bob Hanrahan from among many thousands of Venus Flytraps growing at his "Carnivorous Plantations" in Georgia and northern Florida, U.S. Bob sent a few divisions and some leaves for rooting and further propagation to me (Steve) in New Mexico, U.S. I'm growing them and sending healthy divisions to Matt at the Flytrap Store location in Oregon for further growth, division and propagation in Matt's Flytrap Store tissue culture program.

WIP Snapper family

• WIP Snapper
• WIP Slim Snapper
• WIP Big Red Snapper
• WIP Long Snapper

Matt and I will make all the Snappers available as fast as we can. Matt has several Slim Snappers and some Slim Snapper tissue in sterile culture right now in Oregon, so there should be some Slim Snappers for sale at FlytrapStore.com this coming year (2011). Meanwhile I'm trying to grow the few plants I have of the Snapper family as well as I can here in New Mexico, in order to send Matt some good divisions when I can.

In Spring, 2011, I'll be sending Matt some divisions of the WIP Snapper and hopefully the WIP Big Red Snapper. The last of the 4 Snappers, the WIP Long Snapper, I have only one plant of with no sign of division yet, so it may require an extra year to get good divisions to send to Matt for further growth and tissue culture.

Projected Timeline for the Introduction of the Snapper Venus Flytraps

• 2011 - Slim Snapper (already growing in both Oregon and New Mexico Flytrap Store locations, and in Matt's tissue culture program)
• 2012 - Snapper and Big Red Snapper (growing in New Mexico location only, divisions scheduled to be shipped to Matt, Spring, 2011)
• 2013 - Long Snapper (currently only one plant, growing in New Mexico location, which will hopefully produce a few divisions during the 2011 growing season)

It may seem like a long time to wait for the plants to be available, but it takes time to grow and tissue culture a plant, just like with orchids. Each of the Snapper family was originally just one plant picked out by Bob Hanrahan. He graciously sent some divisions to me 2 seasons ago, and been growing well despite a few setbacks and challenges along the way. Once Matt has them in tissue culture though, they will reproduce like crazy and everyone who wants one will be able to get one. In just a few short years, Bob Hanrahan's great Snapper family of Venus Flytraps will be all over the U.S., and probably shortly thereafter, all over the world.

Progress Report on the Growth of the Snappers
So far the Snappers have been impressive plants. The Slim Snapper, as Matt mentioned, looks a lot like "Spider" or "Creeping Death," but in some ways it seems superior to other long-petioled plants. Time will tell. The Big Red Snapper produces large traps on a large and robust plant, and the traps reportedly stand out with red coloration (Matt will find out, as Venus Flytraps tend to color up in his growing environment in Oregon more readily than they do in mine in New Mexico). The Snapper (the first member of the Snapper family) looks like an impressive typical, but supersized, with large rosettes and super-large traps when it has matured and reached its fullest potential. I have seen some evidence of these traits already with the Snapper, and hopefully it will continue to impress. The Long Snapper is a very interesting plant. It has long petioles like the Slim Snapper, but even longer while being stronger, stiffer and more upright (not so droopy), and produces a very long but sturdy flower stalk even on a not-yet-fully-mature plant. The Long Snapper looks kind of like the Slim Snapper on steroids.

-Steve