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Carnivorous Plants

Growing Cobra Lilies (Darlingtonia californica) in WA

14 years ago

I am new to much of any kind of gardening, but I would love to try planting some cobra lilies out back behind my house. We have a pretty marshy area in the back behind a small trout stream and from what research I have done, it appears that this area is somewhat conducive to the plants native environment. Does anyone here have any experience with this plant in an area such as mine? Thanks!

Damon

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Comments (7)

petiolaris
14 years ago
You're basically where they come from - maritime Pac NW. They should do well for you.
terrestrial_man
14 years ago
What do you mean by a marshy area?
What is the soil like? How much sun exposure?
Does water move through the area or just sits there?
What is growing there now?
Darlingtonias do not occur in WA and are restricted to just
the border region of the Coast Ranges of California and Oregon.
What you really need to do first is to change that marshy area into a bog that will support Sphagnum moss. If the Sphagnum moss cannot grow there then forget about growing Darlingtonia there until you can resolve whatever cultural issues are needed to be dealt with concerning the Sphagnum moss.
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I grow numerous orchids, both epiphytic and terrestrial, as well as a large collection of sarracenias and a few nepenthes. The most successful orchid/cp combinations in my garden are bog gardens, and they are spectacular right now. I have Platanthera (aka. Habenaria) ciliaris in full bloom planted in combination with Sarracenias, VFT's, and Calopogon orchids. I'm still experimenting with Epipactus species, but they are not terribly vigorous here (lots of west coast plants tend to languish in our summer humidity.) Another successful bog companion, as noted in one of the posts above, is Spiranthes cernua. I'm also experimenting with Pogonia ophoglossoides (sp?), but it's taking a while to get established; it's pretty far south of its normal range here, so the heat may be a factor. I have tried cypripediums in bog environments before, but can't recommend that. I find that they need much better drainage to prevent fungal attack than do the CP's, and they're too expensive to risk. Bletillas are a possibility while in growth, but would need to be lifted and stored in a drier, cooler place during the winter - I've seen them sold as bog plants at a couple of local nurseries lately, but wouldn't count on their being perennial without decent winter drainage. As far as the epiphytic species go, I don't see why a combo of Nepenthes and Phals, for instance, wouldn't work, but I agree that it would just be easier to grow them separately. Weight becomes a consideration when you're dealing with plants which hang (I grow all of mine on mounts or suspended in pots or baskets), and you can always group them together for display purposes. Another issue is that epiphytic plants (which includes most of the orchids which are commonly available) need the excellent drainage afforded them by a container which will dry out to the core before being watered again; when you start combining plants in containers, you increase the volume of potting medium and likewise the time it takes for moisture in the center to evaporate. I like the idea of the bromeliad/nepenthes/orchid "tree"; I snagged the remains of a beautiful crepe myrtle from one of my neighbor's trash heap a couple of years ago with the notion of creating something like that, but so far it's just providing a climbing wall for squirrels behind my shed. The best laid plans...
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I never advocated that you need to subject your plants to Artic temperatures! I think that they aren't as fragile as people make them out to be. At an even lower elevation than where our local ones grow, we still had six foot drifts of snow in June! The back roads to California through the mountains had to be cleared. My point about the running water was primarily in reference to the summers. That water comes from the snow pack! The first year that I found them in the wild, I almost went off the road after trying to go through a snow drift and that was May. With sustained minus temps like your area has, you likely should provide protection as long as the dormancy requirements are met. I know Peter and Marilee both somewhat at C.C. They both have more knowledge about these things than I will ever have. I brought Peter some Nep seeds back from Borneo the last time I was there and Marilee has relatives in my area. Also, I think that I've read somewhere that there might be distinct differences in the populations. I don't know how factual this is, but I found it facinating. All of the cultivated ones avaliable are from the coastal populations and the climate is far more moderate. However, mine are grown from seeds collected from the alpine population. They are subjected to a far harsher climate and are accordingly far more hardy. Their colors are far more vividly red and they will take more abuse. I could take them out of the bog/pool they grow in and roll it down the hill like a wheel. I think that qualifies as frozen. I think that this might factor into the differences of experience and opinion. Quite possibly yours wouldn't survive growing here either. I've never really heard this brought up and looked at before. It would be very interesting.
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tommyr_gw Zone 6
14 years ago
By the way folks, there are new laws in California regarding Darlingtonia. Can't be sold without a permit AND the way the law is written they MAY be illegal to own as well. This is per the folks at cobraplant.com Stay tuned......
terrestrial_man
14 years ago
Really don't have a clue on what tommyr is talking about.
What laws I know about pertain to wild collected plants which require permission from private landowners or a permit from the state on state owned property. The genus is not listed on the state endangered plant list.
Whatever legal changes have occured have not been noted on the CNPS website and would have been if of any consequence.
If there are changes in CA state law they would probably be similar to the laws that Oregon have on their books.
See the link to read the entire text of the regulation.
What Oregon does not prohibit is possession. It laws are geared towards protecting natural stands of the species.
Certification that all commercially available plants are
nursery grown would be a big plus. Yet because the interest in this type of plant is really limited, the real danger to any natural populations would be from various human activities in their range of occurrence rather than from overcollection as tends to be the case with native orchids.
Since Cobraplant.com is based in Oregon it would not be subject to California's laws.

If I find out otherwise, will update.

Here is a link that might be useful: Oregon law affecting Darlingtonia
taz6122
14 years ago
I concur with t man. Seems the law is flawed and doesn't count cultured plants which are the plants sold by nurseries. They are looking to resolve the flaws come fall.
damonedwards
Original Author
14 years ago
In response to terrestrial man:

- The area to the right of the stream in the photo is marshy- it holds water back in some places, is muddy in others. The area on the left is much more solid, yet is still moist
- The soil is rich and black, some clay here and there. I'd say sunlight is probably 60% in most areas.
- The water moves non-stop, it is an active stream year round.
- There is a ton of Skunk cabbage (Lysichiton americanus) growing in the back area now as well as Sphagnum moss, several large Alders as well as some smaller bushes and plants I have yet to identify.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:548200}}
terrestrial_man
14 years ago
Damon,
Your site looks ideal. The presence of the Skunk Cabbage suggests a soil composition that is organically rich in nutrients that have siltated into the area and probably where water tends to stand for prolonged periods of time. Look to see where the sphagnum grows in relation to the Symplocarpus. In fact you may want to draw a "floor plan" of the area noting roughly where can be found whatever is there and indicating the wettest spots and the driest spots. Have you checked out the water in the stream?
To find out its pH, presence of organics, etc. and to find out what lies upstream that could imperil the colony.
The site appears to be subjected to winter flooding and for this reason I would suggest that you find a location that lies protected from any strong flooding surges but one that is accessible to the existing creek via an intake channel and an outflow channel back into the creek.
You will need to do some digging and measure out an area for the population to begin in. Dig out the top 12 to 18 inches and refill with a 50 50 mix of creek sand and and peat moss. Be sure the channel to the site is higher than the growing site and outflow slightly lower. This will take some adjustments but I suggest the inflow coming from the upstream portion and the outflow routed to the downstream portion of the creek-either need not be deep, maybe 2 to 3 inches to do the job. You will have to experiment.
Once you get all of this done and the water is moving into and out of your bog and the bog is stable introduce some of the sphagnum moss you have growing there into the bog and see how it fares. You could also introduce a Darlingtonia as an experiment to see what happens. If it takes and looks healthy then go for more as you desire.
Here are several links I recommend you either Favorite to read later or print out as suits you.
Darlingtonia around Florence, Oregon

US Forest Service-Darlingtonia

Robert Ziemer Field Observations

SF State Biogeography of Darlingtonia

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