FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

If this message turns up a few times, it is because of my efforts to attach a photo. Two tries said the file name was invalid! Anyway, maybe third time will be a charm. I am a novice to raising carnivorous plants, and recently made my first foray into starting from seeds. (Thanks, Leah, for tracking down my order so I know I have Darlingtonia California seeds!) I now have something growing, but I have doubts that they are pitcher plants, although one shoot appears to have the remnants of a seed on the top. To me, they look more like grass or weeds. What do you think? Has the incredible happened, or should I toss? Thanks for your help!
Connie

It's hard to tell due to the slight blur in the picture...but if I didn't know better I would say that is grass. It looks like they are splitting at the top? something I can't imagine seedling pitcher plants would do. If in doubt, which it sounds like you are, I would just let whatever it is be for now. If it is grass then it will probably die because of the nutrient poor soil that you should be using.

Well, we need a close up picture of the plant. From the picture below, it think it is grass. I am not too sure though so you can only wait and see.

Those don't look like Darlingtonia sprouts, too thin and typically the seed coat would still be attached to one of the seed leaves at that point in their growth.

Sigh. I was afraid of that! I probably will toss. But it was worth a try doing the seeds, agreed? Thanks for everyone's input!

How long has it been since sowing the seed? And did you bury it or scatter it on top of the soil?

Tony C wrote:How long has it been since sowing the seed? And did you bury it or scatter it on top of the soil?

About a month, probably a bit more. I scattered them on top of moist soil that I got from the Flytrap store (a mix of soil, moss, etc.), then covered the clear plastic container with SaranWrap, and put it on my window sill (western exposure.) From the dew kept inside by the 'wrap, it has stayed a bog. Possibly TOO moist. Given this is my first try, I am a bit clueless about how wet "moist" needs to be. I do NOT have a heat pad to keep it at 80 degrees, but lately the temperature here in VA has been around 90, so I think it got enough sunlight to stay wam. The grass is happy, at any rate!

I just took off the covering wrap and put it outside on my covered porch ledge, to join the flytraps and cobra pitcher plants. I may give it amnesty for a week and see if anything changes after a week or so. What do you think?

They may have overheated with the sunlight and plastic wrap. I prefer to start seeds under lights for better control.

Don't chuck it just yet. Hold out & you may be surprised. Germination of Darlingtonia can be prolonged and sporadic if not stratified first. If your 'grass' keeps growing taller and you can positively identify it then do some weeding out. Darlingtonia seedlings can look like this when they first germinate - a short stalk which divides into 2 "seed leaves" or cotyledons. After a short while the seedlings will develop small immature pitchers from the union between the cotyledons.

Grass will have separate leaves from soil level upwards, Darlingtonia will have a short stalk.

Have a close look before you decide to chuck!

Thanks! I will hold off chucking, at least for a bit, to see if anyting happens. There may be hope! Maybe.... At least out on my porch there is definitely enough humidiy and heat, IF the seeds haven't been killed from all I have put them through.

Makes me think of looking at various wildflowers/ flowering weeds: "Are you an official flower, or a weed?"

I have some young (few inches high) saracenia pitchers growing, complete with new growth (to my delight.) The new growth looks tubular: like the older plants, just shorter and without any hood yet. Should the Darlingtonia also look like a miniature adult?

Thanks for your help! (And patience!)

I would never throw the pot out.
I've had seeds sprout years after I planted them, so don't give up!

From that picture, it looks almost like Utricularia

bananaman wrote:I would never throw the pot out.
I've had seeds sprout years after I planted them, so don't give up!

From that picture, it looks almost like Utricularia

That is almost frightening, like something out of Little Shop of Horrors! Either that, or Waiting for Godot - "It should be sprouting any year now!"

cadorn wrote:I have some young (few inches high) saracenia pitchers growing, complete with new growth (to my delight.) The new growth looks tubular: like the older plants, just shorter and without any hood yet. Should the Darlingtonia also look like a miniature adult?

Immature Darlingtonia pitchers are more tubular and prostrate than the adult pitchers. I don't have any shots of newly germinated plants but here are some yearlings: