FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Some plants are so slow and tedious. We have to use a high-powered magnifier just to closely examine them for even the slightest change to take some joy in. Of all carnivorous plants, which is the most slow and tedious (for us) to grow?

I voted for Cephalotus because they seem to take forever to start growing after being repotted. Most other plants seem to respond quickly and grow fairly quickly (for CPs), though I don't have a ton of experience with "rare and tiny" Drosera.

Neat question Steve

isnt heli same as heliamphora?

manzano167 wrote:isnt heli same as heliamphora?

Second

I think Steve was being a bit silly here. Four of the options ("Heliamphora", "Helis", "Any Heliamphora species or hybrid", and "Heli's, Heli's, HELI's!!") are all Heliamphora. The real vote comes down to Venus fly trap Seedlings, Heliamphora, Cephalotus or "Rare and tiny Drosera".

In my opinion, some of the utricularia. U.campbelliana especially and the other higland slow-growers. They're CRAZY to grow, U.campbelliana can even put out one or two leaves during a year and requires conditions that are very hard to get.

moof wrote:In my opinion, some of the utricularia.

Utricularia added to the poll list (without adding another Heliamphora option).

I have no first hand experience with them, but I've heard/read that Darlingtonias can be pretty difficult or at least just need a lot of attention.

Yeah, this poll is messed up. I vote Helis, much slower growing for me than any Ceph I've ever grown. But then, it might be because I grow them in the same conditions, warm and humid under lights.

Something tells me that Steve thinks that Heli's are the hardest to grow. Don't ask me how I came to that conclusion.

At any rate, I didn't vote because I haven't grown well...anything on the list soooooo...

95slvrZ28 wrote:Something tells me that Steve thinks that Heli's are the hardest to grow.

Well, in all fairness to my Heliamphora, I AM torturing them by growing them in conditions opposite to what they usually experience on top of the tepuis (table-top mountains) in Venezuela and Guyana. I'm "stress testing" them in a hot, dry climate, outdoors much of the day in blistering high-altitude sun often with hot, blasting wind, as contrasted with their natural environment which is often cool to downright cold, with very frequent rain or heavy mist from clouds scraping across the tops of the tepuis.

So in response they are growing extremely slowly. But they aren't dying (yet), so I'm beginning to think they might be a little tougher than people think. I'm doing this Heli stress testing on purpose, but I won't kill them (not on purpose, anyway). If I see them reacting adversely (other than growing extremely conservatively) I'll make life easier for them, grow them inside out of the wind more, try to keep them a little cooler, etc.

But right now, yes, Helis definitely require the most patience from me as far as observing their (lack of) growth.

I really want a H. Minor, but I really don't want to set up a terrarium. Boulder is not the most friendly of environments to grow plants in due to the weather being pretty extreme at times (as you said, heat, dry, wind etc.), so I would be a little concerned about purchasing a $40 plant that I've never grown before in conditions I'm not sure how they would fair in. Let me know how the test goes, I'm quite interested in the results (or if you want to sacrifice one of them to a sunny window in Boulder let me know ). If it looks like they're tougher than people think I'm really going to consider getting one.

H.minor is a bombproof plant for me if it has good humidity.

moof wrote:H.minor is a bombproof plant for me if it has good humidity.

But a dependence upon good humidity is an achilles heel in the desert. That's why I'm trying to see whether Heliamphora can adapt to much lower humidity. They may not look their luxurious best, but perhaps they can become a little more like a tough desert cactus. They're pretty tough plants already when it comes to standing up in harsh wind, but of course they are adapted to that from the very windy plateaus of the tepuis.

Anyway, I find these stess-testing experiments interesting.

Hi Steve,
Now I know why I haven't seen you around for a while - you've found a different forum to frequent!

moof wrote:In my opinion, some of the utricularia. U.campbelliana especially and the other higland slow-growers. They're CRAZY to grow, U.campbelliana can even put out one or two leaves during a year and requires conditions that are very hard to get.

While I haven't been growing the utrics as long as other CP families, they get my vote. Usually they're grown for their flowers & even some easy-growing species cause experienced growers to rip their hair out to get them to bloom. I'm also finding that ones that are only considered 'moderately' difficult can be tough to grow. I managed to reduce a 6" U. quelchii to a few sparse 1/8" leaves within a month or two...

Steve_D wrote:Well, in all fairness to my Heliamphora, I AM torturing them by growing them in conditions opposite to what they usually experience on top of the tepuis (table-top mountains) in Venezuela and Guyana. I'm "stress testing" them in a hot, dry climate, ...

Well that pretty much explains any issues you have with them - eh? They grow like weeds in a humid tank in my basement....

Steve_D wrote:But a dependence upon good humidity is an achilles heel in the desert.

Have you tried Drosophyllum lusitanicum? Sounds like it should fit in to your environment very well...