Forest Lane Carnivorous Plant Shop & Nursery in Virginia

Sarracenia flava var. cuprea

Hidden away in the countryside of Williamsburg, Virginia is a fantastic little nursery which sells a number of carnivores. (Sadly, I never knew it existed when I was in school in Williamsburg, but only just found out about it thanks to a Google search in preparation for a very short visit back there a couple weekends ago).

Sarracenia flava var. cuprea

My visit to Forest Lane Botanticals was too short, but I had limited time and a packed agenda. The Sarrracenia were just starting to open their first pitchers of the season and these "Copper Tops" were among the first pitchers to open. For many, flowering was either in full-swing or had just finished. 

One of the "Bug" Cultivars from Larry Mellichamp

Of course, flavas weren't the only species to be on display. Forest Lane Botanicals had a whole corner of the yard dedicated to a bog garden and plants for sale from that garden. It was quite a treat!

Sarracenia at Forest Lane Botanicals

I really enjoyed being able to take a look at (and buy) a number of neat Sarracenia, including a coveted all-green Sarracenia rubra sbsp. jonesii. The only bad thing was that I flew down instead of driving, so I had to pack the plants for shipment back home. They got a little beat up, but all should make a full recovery.

Sarracenia alata

The visit was, actually, just in time for the Sarracenia alata to be in full bloom. Everywhere we went with S. alata had wonderful little yellow flowers. It was quite a sight, especially for those of us so used to the dark red blooms of our native plants.

Hybrid Sarracenia

Of course, my favorite flowers were those of the hybrid Sarracenia. So many had interesting orange colors, or petals of a different color from the main part of the flower. Very different from the species, all of which have single-color flowers, with the exception of S. rosea.

Row of Sarracenia

It was a warm day down in Virginia, but the weather had only just begun to shift towards warmer weather. Like at home, the spring had quickly changed from warm to cold to warm again. (It makes me want to tent my Sarrs next year to see if I can get an early start on their growth).

Sarracenia flava

I'd highly recommend visiting Forest Lane Botanicals if you're ever in the Williamsburg area. The plants are large and well grown.