The Seedling – It Calls to Me

“Take me home, Rob!”

Last month, a few fellow Carni-heads and I went to meet up with the Great Sarracenia Grandmaster Wizard of the Pacific Northwest, Jerry Addington. (Yes. A future post to follow.) Anyway, there was one seedling that I was particularly drawn to. Out of the thousands of plants – there was this one that I had this unexplainable attraction to.* At first glance, I didn’t know what the plant was and the tag was not visible. The tag was buried and hidden by a mass of other seedlings. But still, there was just something about this one. When I asked bout it, Jerry wasn’t sure what it was off the top of his head, but he was kind enough to let me bring it home with me. **  I then pulled the pot, and then looked at the tag. OHHHH. DAYMN. It was a cross I did a couple of seasons ago, then gave Jerry some seeds from the cross back then. Sarracenia ‘Saurus‘ x ‘Legacy‘. Even without knowing what it was at first sight, it was almost like the seedling was calling me. Weird. I know. But weird in a cool way.

It is still young and I’m looking forward to seeing it develop. It doesn’t have the rich and ominous coloration of S. ‘Saurus’, and it does not have the clear throat splotch of S. ‘Legacy’, but I think what I found familiar was the seedling shape – especially the mouth. See last photo  below of S. ‘Legacy’ from 2010.

Here’s a few things that I’m watching with this baby that I’ll leave here on the blog so a few years from now I can look for this post and figure out how I did:

1.) Shape – I like the wide mouth and the smaller lid to mouth ratio. The mouth at this age really reminds me of the shape that S. ‘Legacy’ had in 2010.

2.) Size – this seedling was a bit taller than the others, and even taller than some of her siblings that were in the same pot. With S. ‘Saurus’ genes in the mix, who knows what this one will do.

3.) Coloration – Again, this the deep color from S. ‘Saurus’ did not carry over and the splotch of S. ‘Legacy’ is not really present (if you look closely, some coloration from the splotch is very very faint) — but this baby has this quiet and subtle pitcher coloration I like. The upper portion of the pitcher and inside is white with red veins running throughout. Should be a sweet contrast. The lid still maintains a bit of bright yellowish green. There is a main stripe down the middle, in the throat. When S. ‘Legacy’ was a baby, she also had one very prominent main stripe in the middle of the throat that developed into a beautiful splotch as she matured. (See last photo for reference.)

Again, this is still a baby but with those genes all up in the mix, who knows what it will do. For now, will just watch and wait. Thanks for germinating and growing this baby Jerry!

Sarracenia ‘Saurus’ x ‘Legacy’

Sarracenia ‘Saurus’ x ‘Legacy’

Sarracenia ‘Saurus’ x ‘Legacy’

For reference, the pollen parent in the above cross as a youngster. Sarracenia ‘Legacy’ photo from July 2010.

* The Rocket Man Ron Spores was with me when it happened. He witnessed the whole thing! Forreals!

** Funny enough, in the rush of packing things up and leaving that evening  – I had left this pot and realized this only when I was on the road that something was missing. Thankful that fellow Sarraceniaphile and neighbor, Calen, visited Jerry later on and was able to bring this one back. Thanks again C-dawg!)