FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hi Matt & Steve,

Mostly a question aimed at you two, thought I'd post it here in case anyone else was wondering: I noticed that in the international store red venus fly trap seeds are no longer available. I'm simply wondering if they will be available again in the future or if they have been removed from the store permenantly? Bummer if they have.

The other products that are out of stock simply say "Out of stock" but the page remains, hence my confusion. Thanks!

The supply of the "Special Red Mix" of seeds from the last harvest (in 2010), hand-pollinated selfs and crosses between only red-leaved Venus Flytraps, was exhausted (sold out). The product was removed because we're not sure we'll offer it this year. I think that Matt might like to offer it, but currently I prefer to offer our regular mix of seeds from almost all the Venus Flytraps we grow, along with a few (perhaps 2-3) other special crosses between particular Venus Flytrap clones, and save the red mix for another year: each year with its own general mix of seeds from superior and interesting clones, as well as 1 or several special seed mixes. That way each year is special!

Matt and I are still discussing the subject though, since our plants have now begun to put up this year's flowerstalks and the pollination and seed-producing season will soon begin!

This does give an opportunity to ask you (Grey) and other Forum members if any particular Venus Flytrap cross-pollinations come to mind as being desirable or potentially producing interesting plants. So anyone, any ideas about this? What cross-pollinations should Matt and I make to possibly offer at FlytrapStore.com? What would you like to see, seed-wise?

-Steve

I'll butt in! I think Big Mouth X B52 would make some large seed outcomes. It would also be awesome to have a Red Piranha X FTS Crimson Sawtooth.

Long Red fingers x B52
Crimson Sawtooth x Cupped trap
all nice crosses that would give something nice!

B52 and Low giant
Dente and B52

Steve_D wrote:I think that Matt might like to offer it

Yes, I plan to offer at least some "Special Red Mix" this year. I have many more red plants that are flowering size this year, so I might be able to get a better harvest than last year and be able to keep them in stock throughout the year.

dantt99 wrote:Big Mouth X B52

dantt99 wrote:Red Piranha X FTS Crimson Sawtooth

jht-union wrote:Long Red fingers x B52
Crimson Sawtooth x Cupped trap

manzano167 wrote:B52 and Low giant
Dente and B52

Those are all nice suggestions. I might throw some information out there to help clarify some things and to better help people decide what crosses they'd like to see.

First of all, the naming convention for a cross is that the mother plant comes first and the pollen donor comes second. So, Big Mouth x B52 means that Big Mouth would be the mother plant and B52 would be the pollen donor.

Secondly, I've noticed that it's typically the mother plant's characteristics that are passed on more frequently than the pollen donors' traits. So, if you were to make the cross Big Mouth x B52, I'd expect a lot of fairly typical looking flytraps, but perhaps some with good coloration (like Big Mouth) and fewer with exceptionally large traps (like B52). Also remember that it takes a long, long time to evaluate plants for large trap size. Even with starting the seeds in tissue culture, it may be 2 to 3 years before there is an adult sized plant making it's largest traps.

Something else to consider is that some clones are very prolific seeders and others produce relatively little seed. Last year I did two crosses for myself to put into TC:
1) Sawtooth x Fused Tooth
2) Fused Tooth x Sawtooth

I got a ton of seed from cross #2 and relatively little seed from cross #1 despite the fact that I had 4 adult plants of each clone. Fused Tooth produces a lot of seed and Sawtooth produces relatively little. From those crosses, I also noticed that about half of the Fused Tooth x Sawtooth seedlings have anywhere from slight fusing to EXTREME fusing (at least in vitro). I haven't potted out any of the ones with extreme fusing yet, but I plan to in a couple of months.

Some of the odd clones, like Cupped Trap, Wacky Traps, Korean Melody Shark and perhaps some others commonly have deformed stigmas and aren't able to be pollinated (but can still donate pollen). So crosses like Cupped Trap x Crimson Sawtooth would be hard to do, but the cross Crimson Sawtooth x Cupped Trap would be fairly easy to do.

Here is a list of clones that, from what I've experienced or read, don't produce much, if any seed:
Akai Ryu
Clayton's Red Sunset
Cupped Trap
Korean Melody Shark
Sawtooth
Wacky Traps

And here is a list of some of the best seeders (that I know of -- many of the clones I grow I've never let set seed):
B52
Big Mouth
Dentate Traps
FTS Maroon Monster
Fused Tooth
Jaws
Low Giant
Red Piranha
Pink Venus

Once we get a few suggestions thrown out, perhaps we can create a poll for people to vote for the crosses they'd most like to see available for sale in the store and then Steve and I can pick a few each to make ourselves. Choices would probably be limited by the number and kind of adult plants that Steve and I have to set seed this year.

FTS Maroon Monster x Big Vigorous
Fused Tooth x FTS Maroon Monster

I really like FTS Maroon Monster the photos look phenomenal...

I think that if you guys were able to get a plant that had a fused cilia but with a all red leaf plant would be neat.

tejan24 wrote:I really like FTS Maroon Monster the photos look phenomenal...

I think that if you guys were able to get a plant that had a fused cilia but with a all red leaf plant would be neat.

That's a great idea! You know...I have to admit that FTS Maroon Monster is quickly becoming my favorite clone. I have always liked the red clones. But this one has all the color of a red clone without the negatives that they usually have (smaller traps, slower growing, etc.). It's a gorgeous plant with incredible vigor and large traps. It's really awesome!

I'd really like to see a big mouth ish cultivar with larger dentate cilia so maybe Dentate X Bigmouth, or the other way around depending on what you would like?

And large dentates from b52's maybe? so b52 X Dentate.

Maybe throw something with some really good color in there and do a Maroon X Pink Venus. Also Pink venus, or Maroon X dutch or dutch delight, you might get some really good coloration of traps

tell me what you guys think!
David-

David F wrote:I'd really like to see a big mouth ish cultivar with larger dentate cilia so maybe Dentate X Bigmouth, or the other way around depending on what you would like?

I already have quite a few seedlings with large traps and dentate cilia. This is one of the best ones:

David F wrote:Maybe through something will some really good color in there and do a Maroon X Pink Venus.

I don't really understand this sentence, but Pink Venus and Maroon already color up quite nicely. Dutch also has good coloration, but it's not a deep rich color; it's more like an orange blush.

Wow matt, those traps are gigantic and a very strong red!
i bet you can feed one of those gigantic traps a really small frog!

Steve_D wrote:What cross-pollinations should Matt and I make to possibly offer at FlytrapStore.com? What would you like to see, seed-wise?

-Steve

OK Steve, here is what I want:

[(Wacky Traps x Alien) x (Korean Melody Shark x Fuzzy Tooth)] x Spotty


Brad

BradR wrote:Wacky Traps x Alien

I'm in on that part of the complication

BradR wrote:[(Wacky Traps x Alien) x (Korean Melody Shark x Fuzzy Tooth)] x Spotty

The virus-ridden "Spotty" is a deal breaker. Uh-uh, not from me, no way.

But let's see, the freakishness of Wacky Traps wed to the elongated Alien, then their progeny fertilized by the progeny of freakish Korean Melody Shark from pollen by Fuzzy Tooth. Man, if some of those wouldn't turn out to be the most hobbled, pathetic, just-kill-them-to-get-them-out-of-their-misery Flytraps, I don't know what would!

Pink venusxFTS Crimson Sawtooth
Green DragonxFTS Crimson Sawtooth
FTS Crimson SawtoothxGreen Dragon