Sexuality in the Garden: Fatal Seduction

 

A few of the BAPP’s crew have come together for a united post. For more fantastic plant/sex posts, check out:

Plantgasm
Dirty Girl Gardening
Phyte Club

And for those of you who don’t really care to read on, that’s fine…
Click here.

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Today we explore some of the more intriguing  qualities of a few Carnivorous plants. Yes, these plants are indeed unlike any other for they employ a wonderful method of seduction to draw their captive audience in. This fatal attraction is nothing short of phenomenal – it’s SEXY… Oh hell yes. These plants literally do make a living off of their HAWT seduction skills!

Check out the oh-so-sensual Sarracenia out for example.

For the lips of an adulteress drip honey. Her mouth is smoother than oil.” (Proverbs 5:3)

Sarracenia leucophylla “Purple Lips” x flava var. ornata

The victims are drawn to her by the sweet aroma she emits, her sexy colors and those hot vein-ey designs tattooed all over her hot pitchers – and  who could resist those sweet wet dripping lips?!?

Sarracenia mitchelliana x “willisii” offering her seducing nectar
to her suitor. They’re busy makin out…

Bug-Dude is enticed and excited…  thinkin’, “I’m gonna get me some action tonight! YYYEEAHH BAYBEEEE!! Let’s get this ON!”  So, Dude throws down and is getting all happy. He starts gettin’ busy making out with the plant and drinking her sweet nectar. He decides to takes this thing up to the next level.

HawtnessSarracenia ‘Leah Wilkerson’ x ‘Wilkerson’s Red’ and the
Bug Dude about to take it to the next level…

It starts to get hot and heavy for both of them. She got his blood a’ flowin’… and her depth of mystery just entices him on. He explores her wonderland of a body. She urges him on to explore her hole.  He can’t resist her powerful seduction, so he thrusts himself deeper…
and deeper…

HawtnessSarracenia moorei urging her suitor to go deeper…
too bad dude here isn’t using protection.
He should of brought a safety net.

Unable to control himself, he keeps going deeper and deeper, getting lost in her seductive embrace. He finally lets his guard down and his world is falling around him.

Spinning… lost in a downward spiral of lustful fatal bliss.

He only lasted a minute then starts to shoot down her throat.  She doesn’t hesitate and swallows … him up.  Oh hell yes.

Sarraceniagasmic.

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She’s good. So good in fact that the payment for her services costs his life.  To every guilty pleasure, there is a price…

The Sarracenia’s fatal seduction claiming it’s victims…

Sarracenia’s seduce their meals by color, scent, and that sweet dripping ambrosia.  Powerful stuff indeed.  The sweet secretion literally is intoxicating. Sarracenia flava nectar, for example, is said to contain coniine. The glands around the pitcher mouth secrete this sweet sexy substance, and lure and urge the prey even further in. As the unsuspecting bug drinks this amazing nectar, it starts to get drunk, and looses it’s foothold her slippery throat and slips in. As the prey slides down her throat, the waxy smooth walls make it difficult to gain a foothold to escape.  And once in, there is little chance of escape. Downward pointing hairs that prevent the insect from climbing back up. Instead it is pushed deeper into the hole by it’s own movements…  only to end up as a meal for the temptress plant.

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Let’s look at a few other sexy meat eaters… like Nepenthes, for example.
A friend of mine called them “Condom plants.” I really have no idea why she called them that.  Where would she get that idea?!

Are you happy to see me or is that a Nepenthes in your pocket?
Un-opened Nepenthes pitcher…

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And recently reported was a Nepenthes munching on a tit. Not just any tit. A great tit!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-14416809

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And of course, let us not forget the lovely Tipitiwitchet!!! (EW EW EW!)

HawtnessTipitiwitchet: What do you see?

A tippiti-whut?? What’s that you ask? I won’t bore you with the details here, but if you really want to know then check out Barry Rice’s explanation here…

Rad. Now go uncurl your toes, read the other blogs, then go plant something. 🙂

Hybrid Update: S. courtii x “Green Monster”, AF Clone

Happy Friday everyone!  I was out relaxing a bit in the garden when I got home, and just wanted to share with y’all how this cross was doing.  Again, it was a cross I did back in 09, and now I’m starting to see the work start to pay off, 2 years later! Be sure to check this post out so you can see how far these babies have come along.

And again, just to show you, here are the two parents:

[Meet the parents]

[Left: S. courtii, AF | Right: S. “Green Monster”. (S. excellens, AF)]

What’s funny is that the the two “select” seedlings that I set aside back then, are about the same size (or now even smaller) than some of the other seedlings I have growing in that tub now.  Goes to show you, you never really know what you’ll get when breeding and growing from seed —  and what seedlings will spring up as late starters. Or I should say, late jumpers.

I’m really liking the seedlings with the clean polka dotish action on the pitchers. Finally seeing the fruition of my labor is exciting and keeps me going in this obsession.  I’m still fairly new at breeding – can’t wait to see some of the other stuff cookin’ grow up!

Sarracenia courtii AF x "Green Monster"[S. courtii AF x “Green Monster” –  August 12, 2011]

Oh Crap

So the other day as I was just wandering about the Sarracenia grow pit inspecting the plants and I noticed some of the pitchers lined with poo from either slug or snail.  I don’t have any pitcher damage from slugs or snails eating the foliage, but I do notice the slimy critters now and then.  I guess they’ve been using the pitchers as their restroom or something.  I’ve been noticing this crappy phenomenon more often now.

Anyone else’s  ever get pitchers o’ crap? If it’s been going on for some time with my plants, I guess it hasn’t been harming them. Perhaps the plants feed off of it?! Eh, whatever.  Sarracenia can sure put up with some crazy sh*t; that’s fo’ sho.

Oh Crap
[Sarracenia pitcher full o’ crap.]

Move it Out

So, I’ve honestly let things in the greenhouse get slightly outta hand… It really looks crappy, I know. Way over crowded. So you know what I did today? I set up a new outdoor growing area.

Gottacleanthis
[This looks so crappy.]

And slowly, I am moving plants OUT of the greenhouse into a new outdoor small  growing area.  It’s funny – only this year have I really put my reservations aside about my greenhouse plants  — and slowly I’m moving plants out.  When things get overcrowded like this, it may look good for a quick second, but the plants would be so much more happier with more air movement and more light! I’ll still grow a select few plants in here and will think they’d like all the room I’ll be freeing up! The other thing I’d like to do with this greenhouse is have it more focused on seedlings .  Yeah! More expansion on the way! It’s a never ending cycle! 🙂

August Harvest

 

August is here… and harvest begins.

August Harvest[Sarracenia seed pod]

August Harvest
[Seeds intact]

August Harvest
[Seeds separated]

Take the Leap

A leaf hopper quietly sits and is tempting fate – about to take the plunge into S. AF courtii x “Green Monster”.  This leap into the abyss was very bad for Mr. Leafhopper, but very good for the plant. (Yummy!)
Livin' on the edge
[Leafhopper vs. S. courtii AF x “Green Monster”]

I took my own leap of faith yesterday as well… it was a first for me, but certainly *not* going to be my last.  A truly amazing experience indeed.  And I admit, the rush is kind of addicting! Leaping from close to 2 miles above the earth was unforgettable and a humbling experience that redefined my perception. Releasing all fear and restraint opens up new doors to endless possibilities.  Take the leap.

On Edge
[Sarraceniadude in the sky! Photo by Mark @ NorCal Sky Diving.]

 

Dude, it’s a Fattie!

…No, not a fattie like that one you go blazin’.  It’s just that this juvenile plant threw out this one robust fat pitcher.  This cross was created by my friend, Wes Buckner. It’s a Sarracenia (leucophylla x oreophila) x purpurea ssp. venosa, Columbus  County, NC.  The purpurea parent in this one, I am told, is a nice large purp that gets pretty big. Well, I can see some of that fatness shine through here.

The other younger pitchers were similar but did not have the same wide bulbous type pitcher. Let’s see what happens with the other up and coming pitchers!

Sarracenia (leucophylla x oreophila) x purpurea ssp. venosa, Columbus Co., NC
[Sarracenia leucophylla x oreophila x purpurea ssp. venosa, Columbus Co., NC.]