Featured Plant: Venus Flytrap

Family / Families: Droseraceae
Name(s) and Author(s): Dionaea muscipula J. Ellis
Location: cultivated in Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Photograph Copyright: annkelliott@Flickr aka Anne Elliott

A while back I wrote about our Bog full of carnivorous plants, including the strange little Venus Flytrap, in  ” Creatures-from-the-Black-Lagoon/ “.

Last week my favorite blog, Botany Photo of the Day from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, featured the Venus Flytrap. It linked to a video of an insect being captured by the plant. I have spent plenty of time staring at Venus Flytraps but I don’t think I ever saw one in action. It’s really fast!

Technical ridiculousness prevents me from actually getting the video up, so here is the BPotD writeup, with the link:

“Today we have an image of Dionaea muscipula, by Anne Elliott (aka annkelliott@Flickr), who also provided the photo of the Oxalis for the series. A photograph of this species showing its completed nastic movement is available via the Botany Photo of the Day Flickr Pool: see Rob Co’s photograph of Dionaea muscipula. Thank you Anne and Rob for sharing your great shots!

To finish off the series on nastic movements, I couldn’t resist including Dionaea muscipula or the Venus flytrap. This species exhibits seismonasty or thigmonasty, which is the nastic movement due to a touch stimulus (see a video: Venus flytrap capturing prey). This type of nastic movement was also highlighted in the first entry of the series on Mimosa pudica.

Dionaea muscipula is native to North Carolina and South Carolina in the USA. Populations of plants recorded in New Jersey and Florida are often considered to be exotic introductions. Due to its special qualities, Venus flytrap is also a popular houseplant.

As noted above, Venus flytrap is a carnivorous species that traps and digests insects for a source of nitrogen. The modified leaves of this species consist of an upper and lower portion. The lower portion, a flat stalk, terminates with the two-lobed upper portion (with the lobes joined by the midrib). Each lobe is lined with comb-like bristles. The red-coloured centre of the trap contains three sensitive trigger hairs (seen clearly in Anne’s image). When stimulated by touch, the trap shuts by means of electrochemical signals. The trap may take several minutes to close fully. Once closed, it will remain so for 5-7 days in order for the plant to secrete enzymes and digest the insect (see: Volkov, AG et al. 2008. Kinetics and Mechanisms of Dionaea muscipula Trap Closing. Plant Physiology. 146(2):694-702).”

There are a number of Venus Flytrap videos on youtube but the one linked above ( Venus flytrap capturing prey ) on Wikipedia is by far the best one I’ve seen.

Venus Flytraps are easy to grow at home. There are just a few things to remember since they do not grow like your average houseplant.

1.They like full sun.

2. Pot them up in sphagnum moss and sit the pot in a saucer of water. They need to be that wet, after all, they are bog plants. Don’t let them dry out. Change the water occasionally so it stays somewhat clean.

3. Don’t fertilize! A bog is a low fertility environment; that’s why the flytraps eat insects: to supplement their diet. Fertilizer will kill them!

4. Don’t feed them –they have evolved to feed themselves. Feeding will kill them.

5. Opening and closing takes a large amount of energy for the plant. If you touch it to make it close repeatedly, it will become weak and die.

6. From the Logee’s Greenhouse website: “Maintain a minimum temperature of 30°F . They prefer cool night temperatures for two months during the winter to induce a dormant period. Night temperatures in the high 30’s to low 40’s are ideal. A cool, neglected windowsill is perfect. During active growth, we keep them warm, above 60°, which speeds up growth.”

So, this is a houseplant that does well being left alone (except for water). If you are curious about other carnivorous plants or would like more information about the Flytraps, the International Carnivorous Plant Society  can tell you everything you need to know, and more.

Featured Plant: Jewel Orchid

Ludisia discolor, the Jewel Orchid, is an orchid native to Malaysia, Indonesia, and Burma. They are often cultivated for the beautiful, velvety-looking foliage (which doesn’t actually feel velvety at all). Ludisia discolor is a terrestrial orchid, which roots in soil. In it’s native habitat, it is found on the floor of the forest. They prefer high humidity and temperatures above 60F, but tolerate very low light. This makes them relatively easy to grow at home, or in a shady spot in the greenhouse. In addition to the deep maroon-green (is that a word?) leaves with pinkish veins, they have beautiful, delicate white flowers, and I was pleasantly surprised to see last week that they were beginning to flower.

To propagate Jewel Orchids, the fleshy stems can be nestled horizontally into the potting mix (well drained, please). They will also root in a glass of water. These little plants were repotted by Rachel back in June of 2012. They had been sulking for quite a while — I think the potting soil was not to their liking — and finally began to grow nicely after that.

A black and whitish kind of day.

Retreat!

Into the greenhouse — seems like the most reasonable option in the face of a “Polar Vortex”!

Strelitzia regina

Pavonia multiflora

Aloe sp.

Oxalis triangularis

Epidendrum sp.

Pelargonium

Senna polyphylla

Adiantum pedatum

At the End of the Year

For the last blog of the year here are a few favorite pictures from 2013. Some of them are of beautiful things and some of them just make me smile, like the picture of all the seedlings coming up for the plant sale.  Happy New Year!

January 24th 2013, frost patterns on the glass inside the Conservatory. Temperature outside was -3 F.

February 8th, 2013, the Blizzard left about 18 inches (?) of snow in South County and damaged many, many trees

March , signs of spring!

April, seedlings for plant sale.

May is glorious!

June, midsummer, green.

July, full of colors.

August.

September

October–fall is the best time to plant!

November, putting away the dahlias for the winter.

December.

Nine Kinds of Pie

Thanksgiving, as I mentioned in last year’s end-of-November post, is my favorite holiday. What is could be better than a holiday especially for getting together with family and friends, just to be thankful for, and to celebrate, all the wonderful things in your life?  Nothing better! Therefore, I’m not at the greenhouse today, I am home baking pies. Although our Thursday tradition is just the five of us and Grandpa, we go all-out on the pies. As one of my favorite little kid’s storybooks says, “There was nothing but pie, but there was all nine kinds of pie that Harold liked best”.

On a more thoughtful note, Friday is International Buy Nothing Day,  and as in years past, Rhode Islanders observe this day of protest with a free winter coat exchange. (Here’s a link to the list of exchange sites:  prosperityforri.com  .)  In addition to highlighting consumerism/overconsumption, this year’s activities also protest the move of retailers beginning their “holiday season” ON Thanksgiving.  The “War on Thanksgiving”, as Scott McKay says, means there are     “…empty seats at the table as workers run off to low-paying jobs at the mall to serve people who just got done saying thanks for what they have but vault from their dinner table to buy things they don’t need.”

I hope that love, family, friends, and neighbors, continue to be the focus of our celebrations…Happy Thanksgiving, from the URI Botanical Gardens and your grateful gardener.

Good Help Is….

I was thumbing through a copy of “The New Organic Grower” by Eliot Coleman the other day. (This little book, which was published in 1989, is worth a read, just for attitude!) What caught my eye was: “A good employee who is familiar with your operation is worth three who are not.” Obviously this is true, and it is one of the  challenges of working in an educational setting. Students come and go! I have often wished I could just hire a particular student to work with me as a regular employee, but that’s not how it is. They work part time, in between classes. They take time off during exams (first week of May–how inconvenient!). They find jobs “at home” and move away. They graduate!

This year, I have been really fortunate to have great students working with me, and plenty of help. I have three volunteers, and three student employees. A few of them worked with me last year and that is where the work that goes into training a new employee really pays off –when they stay and become the one who is “familiar with your operation”. So, let me introduce them and their answers to the question “What do you like about working in the Gardens/Greenhouse?”

Lauren is a senior from South Kingstown, RI, studying Studio Art with a double minor in Horticulture and Italian (!). She was an intern at the Phipps Conservatory last summer, came back to URI in September offering to volunteer at the Gardens, and was quickly offered a student employee position. Lauren said, “I like working at the greenhouse because it is very rewarding and I learn things every time I’m here.” She is a fearless slayer of insects.

Adam is a junior from Cumberland, RI, studying Horticulture. He came to the Greenhouse looking for a job, any job, decided he liked it, and stayed. Adam said, “I like working at the Garden, because, along with providing work that is rewarding, it gives me a place to “escape” to. Devoid of the typical hustle and bustle sensibilities, it lets me be myself and work with very interesting people who I thoroughly enjoy and respect.” If you see Adam, ask him what’s on the ipod.

Dennise is a senior from Pawtucket, RI, studying Animal Science, pre-Vet. She is a dedicated volunteer who also volunteers with the Biocontrol program here at the greenhouse. Dennise said, “For all the years I’ve spent at URI, the Garden has served as an escape from the madness that surrounds college life. It reminds me to sit still and be patient because, not unlike the foliage surrounding those weathered but sturdy benches, growth takes time. Every seed planted holds a promise of a new beginning, if given the proper care. This is why it is an honor for me to be a part of a process that reminds me to continue to grow despite rough weather. In the classroom, we are constantly urged to “wake up and smell the coffee”, but I’ve found it far more rewarding to “stop and smell the flowers”.”  In addition to animals and plants, Dennise loves music and plays the piano.

Ben is a sophomore from South Kingstown, RI, studying Landscape Architecture. He spent last summer working 60-70 hours a week for a high end landscaping company near Albany, NY. Ben said, “I like learning about the care and maintenance of plants in the greenhouse setting. It gives me a lot of real world experience that I don’t find in the classroom.” He is planning to start his own landscape construction business.

Samantha is a junior from Washington, DC, studying Environmental Science. She began volunteering last year and came back again in September to continue. Samantha said, “Volunteering at the Greenhouse is a great way to learn more about plants and how to complete tasks like propagating and pruning. It is also a way for me to decompress and take a break from my stressful week.” Samantha came to Rhode Island hoping for more snowy, wintery winters than in Washington.

As I was beginning this post, another volunteer, Emily, told me that she wouldn’t be able to come in any more until next semester. I know, school comes first, that’s why you are here! So a special thanks to all of you who help us keep the Gardens and Greenhouses looking good and running smoothly.

Field Trip

Last week we took a field trip to Logee’s Greenhouse in Danielson, Connecticut.  If you are a plant lover who lives in southern New England, Logee’s is probably a familiar name and well worth the trip! They sell fruiting, rare, tropical, and house plants. Oh, and succulents too. There are many unusual varieties and it is hard to describe how absolutely jam-packed the greenhouses are.

The family owned business has been in Danielson since 1892.  The display greenhouses are old cedar or cypress framed glasshouses. The atmosphere is warm and humid with the wonderful fragrance of jasmine filling the air. One greenhouse leads to another in a maze of dirt floors, filtered sunlight, and old stone foundations.

We managed to restrain our purchases to only a few plants but it wasn’t easy! I would love to go back in the dead of winter when the green-ness of it would be such an antidote to the grey sleeping garden. To read more about the history of the greenhouses and see their amazing plant selection (also available through mail order) the website is:  www.logees.com

Cloudy Day

In the Conservatory.

Gaillardia

Thalictrum

Ligularia

Dahlia

Hibiscus

Thistle

Where We’ve Been

Where have we been? Mostly out in the garden….

Oconee Bells, Shortia galacifolia. A rare plant from the Appalachian Mountains.

Spring is upon us and we have been raking, weeding, admiring  the plants coming up through the slowly warming soil, moving stones, cutting down trees, and edging the beds.

Ligularia dentata coming up among the Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum).

Edging is heavy work but I love the way it defines the gardens and makes them look cared for (as well as keeping the grass from creeping into the beds).

Freshly edged garden bed.

Inside the greenhouse, there are flats upon flats of seedlings. Some are for the garden, some for the All-America Selections Display, and some for the plant sale.

Seedlings in greenhouse.

We also made a few trips to the unheated overwintering house at URI’s East Farm, where perennials in pots stay for the winter. Now they are inside and coming up beautifully, ready for the garden and the plant sale.

Perennials in the greenhouse.

Solomon’s Seal, a beautiful spring perennial.

SAVE THE DATE: Plant Sale Friday May 3rd, 8AM to 2 PM, at the greenhouse on campus, then on Saturday May 11th at the East Farm Festival, 9 AM to 2 PM at URI’s East Farm.

Vegetable seedlings, All-America Selections annuals, and Garden-dug perennials!