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UK Winter Hardiness


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This has been discussed in the past, but, after the long cold English winter this year (2009/2010) I thought a topic seeing what's survived and what's thrived would be interesting to those of us in the UK. :man_in_love:

To start the ball rolling I've a number of CPs planted out round my pond and others that were in trays outside with zero protection. We had weeks of almost permafrost (below -10 C) and a foot of snow for a few weeks too! This has been the worst UK winter since I came south over 20 years ago and just about started in November and continued unbroken till March 2010. I grow a few non-CP tropicals outside that have survived years but now look very sorry - mature Bottle Brushs may have keeled over! CPs however look much better:

CPs survived:

Sarracenia flava (all)

Sarracenia rubra rubra

Sarracenia oreophila

Sarracenia leucophylla

Sarracenia purpurea subsp. purpurea

Darlingtonia californica

Sarracenia x catesbaei

Pinguicula vulgaris

Drosera filiformis var. tracyi

CPs died:

Drosera Binata

Drosera capensis

Dionaea

Overall, very pleased :thumright:

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Well you haven't done too badly because the capensis and binata won't be dead - they'll resprout from the roots.

I've had a terrible winter. All dionaea died, except one, plus a few sarracenia.

No problems with the hard frosts, but they just keeled over at the end of February. The VFT turned to mush in a very short period of time and I'm not sure why.

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Here in Denmark everything was solid frozen for around 2,5 months with the lowest temp around -11C in my area. All Sarracenia species and subspecies except S. rosea have survived. One leucophylla and one x excellens have died. Flytraps seems to be regrowing except the typical form. and all northern hemishere Droseras except D capillaris and brevifolia have survived. Also D uniflora and D arcturi seems to be comming back to life. All plants have been covered with snow inside the unheated greenhouse to prevent dehydration.

1000s of Sarracenia seedlings ahve also survived well including S rosea forms...

Martin

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And all hardy Pings are alive.

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I've suffered in similar fashion but, to a lesser extent than Alexis. Many VFT's are brown bread, and so too some Sarracenia. I had some giant form Capensis and seen nothing yet, will have to wait and see if it returns!

Alex.

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My Drosera capensis all red died away and all others cps are fine,but I heat the greenhouse over winter???

Most of my red capensis have died down/off but the alba's are fine and growing well, anyone else notice that (my greenhouse was also heated).

Pretty sure my big U. Longifolia is dead which sucks. On the plus side all the pygmies loved it!

Edited by manders
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Most of my red capensis have died down/off but the alba's are fine and growing well, anyone else notice that (my greenhouse was also heated).

Last winter 2008/09 which down here was actually colder than this one my red capensis apparently died. But months later back it came. Other plants never come back- For me three N. boschiana (2 seedlings one big EP plant), A N. maxima, N. medusa, N. fusca x maxima & a few other spare Neps left in less than perfect conditions! Black/brown and very dead! :twisted::D

bill

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A typ. (standard) leucophylla - this was one I expected to stuggle (or to kick the bucket)! It's been planted outside for the last three winters - slower than its greenhouse clone brothers to come into pitcher and not quite as strong/large pitchers but fine never the less. Its literally been underwater for days at a time, forzen solid, snowed under, etc. and seems fine.

Hi Dunc, which leucophylla survived ? All of them ? Have been led to believe they dont like the cold wet winters though maybe this isnt true for all of them ?
Edited by Dunc
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I expect the binata might - although can't see any sign yet. As with the sarracenia it's been outside for a couple of winters previously and my main problem has been with the blackbirds picking it out in their search for food at nesting time (there's some wire mesh over the crowns now...). The capensis has never resprouted before - guess they don't like the combination of cold and high water table. Neither worry me as both are complete weeds in the greenhouse sprouting up everywhere - just been pulling lots out this week (will plant some round the pond for this year).

Well you haven't done too badly because the capensis and binata won't be dead - they'll resprout from the roots.

I've had a terrible winter. All dionaea died, except one, plus a few sarracenia.

No problems with the hard frosts, but they just keeled over at the end of February. The VFT turned to mush in a very short period of time and I'm not sure why.

Edited by Dunc
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I am in southern Ireland and new to carnivorous plant keeping. This was my first winter. My 8 sarracenia and 1 darlingtonia were wrapped in fleece in a cold greenhouse where temperatures plummeted to -10.

My bananas, acacias, echiums, phormiums, hebes, agapanthus and pelargoniums all died. But the sarracenia and darlingtonia now have flower buds and are doing well. Maybe I should change tack and give the garden over to carnivorous plants!

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Most of my red capensis have died down/off but the alba's are fine and growing well, anyone else notice that (my greenhouse was also heated).

Pretty sure my big U. Longifolia is dead which sucks. On the plus side all the pygmies loved it!

Yeah, I noticed that too.

Everything survived the winter in my unheated, uninsulated greenhouse and uncovered bog gardens except my one and only red capensis which was right in the middle of my capensis typicals and albas. They are all doing fine but the red one is no more.

I have lost one darlingtonia but that was down to a crane fly larva(?) which I found when I noticed that, although still green, it hadn't put on any new growth. Its now in 2 halfs and being enjoyed by a couple of the aforementioned capensis :wink:

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  • 3 weeks later...

As mentioned in earlier posts do not give up on the red capensis. I thought my specimen had not survived the winter. When all my other plants in the greenhouse were exhibiting signs of life a few weeks ago my red capensis was just a mass of brown lifeless stems and I was going to throw it on the compost heap but after reading some of the other posts on the subject I decided to persevere with the plant for a few weeks & lo & behold the plant is now sending up new shoots !

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As mentioned in earlier posts do not give up on the red capensis. I thought my specimen had not survived the winter. When all my other plants in the greenhouse were exhibiting signs of life a few weeks ago my red capensis was just a mass of brown lifeless stems and I was going to throw it on the compost heap but after reading some of the other posts on the subject I decided to persevere with the plant for a few weeks & lo & behold the plant is now sending up new shoots !

Isn't that just one of nicests sights you can see. :)

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Lost

Dionaea

Marston Giant

Cupped trap

Redline

Yellow/Orange

Large traps rosetted

Uk sawtooth 2

and a few others dont look very promising!

A few sarracenia are still sleeping (I hope)

George

Edited by Dode
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I am in southern Ireland and new to carnivorous plant keeping. This was my first winter. My 8 sarracenia and 1 darlingtonia were wrapped in fleece in a cold greenhouse where temperatures plummeted to -10.

My bananas, acacias, echiums, phormiums, hebes, agapanthus and pelargoniums all died. But the sarracenia and darlingtonia now have flower buds and are doing well. Maybe I should change tack and give the garden over to carnivorous plants!

I've noticed that the Acacia dealbata trees (getting reasonably common round here!) were untouched by the hard winter and have flowered really well recently. Likewise the Agapanthus I see around are tough as nails.

I can't grow Echiums or tree ferns for toffee. The merest hint of frost and they turn to mush for me.

The only "garden" plant that has suffered this winter was Myrtus ugni. Feijoa, Embothrium, Grevillea and Lomatias completely untroubled.

For CPS, the only plant that looks a bit unhappy is a Heliamphora heterodoxa which got scorched by freeezing (the pot was sitting in ice in the HEATED greenhouse!). The crowns are green though and I expect new growth to emerge - it has been cold before.

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Another Intermediate/lowland Nep has bitten the dust- my N. albomarginata All Red form :hi: Never did very well though. And my N. stenophylla looks quite ill- as does my ailing N. mikei. Its only ever produced tiny poorly formed pitchers for me.

Though not as cold down here as last winter- it just went on too long for some plants.

bill

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I have 3 Sarracenia which are either being very lazy in the waking up stakes or died over the winter.. I'm leaving them where they are for now, I'm not giving up hope on them yet..

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