Winter is Coming!

One of my favorite leuco hybrids

Carl Mazur just posted yesterday about how the best weather around the Great Lakes has been in the fall. It's been the same in New England. I hadn't really gotten any pitchers of note until July! And the best ones have only recently opened!

Drosera binata and Sarracenia

Right now, the bogs are looking at their best. Nearly every Sarracenia has nice, fully formed pitchers, and the Drosera are all just beginning to wind down for winter. Frost hasn't hit yet, though I expect it within a couple weeks.

Another leuco hybrid

The interesting thing is that the plethora of pitchers (and hybrids) in my bogs has allowed me to make some observations. Specifically, I've come to learn that the insects that populate the area around my house love flavas and their hybrids. I've yet to see a single Sarracenia flava or flava hybrid have its pitchers less completely filled with insects, if it's been open for more than a week. Leuco hybrids take a little while longer.

This pitcher is only half full after being open for two weeks

It's also really quite remarkable how colorful the pitchers are in mid-fall. Even with the sugar maples all turning beautiful reds and oranges, and other plants turning nice golden yellows, the Sarracenia remain real knockouts.

Sarracenia psittacenia

Frankly, the least colorful plant in my garden is this gorgeous Sarracenia psittacenia.