Expert: Christopher Littrell - 9/7/2009

Question
Hi,

My name is Daniel and I live in zone 7 of Walnut Cove, NC. Earlier this year I constructed a bog where I planted two sarracenia and one flytrap. My main question is what carnivorous plant has the fastest growing root system. We tend to get a lot of rain from early spring to mid summer and again during most of the fall and winter. I hope that by finding a good companion plant with vigous roots to be able to better hold in my slower growing sarracenia during heavy rains. Unfortunately some of plants got washed out during a heavy rain and I had to replant them in a hurry. I don't know if you've heard this idea before or not but if you have any thoughts on this I would love to hear it.

Thanks,
Daniel

Answer
Hello Daniel,

Most carnivorous plants really do not grow as extensive root systems as say grasses regardless of how fast they grow. Small sundews, like Drosera rotundifolia, can grow rather quickly and take over sections of the bog, residing side by side with Venus Flytraps and Sarracenias in the same conditions. The problem is that they are small and their root systems would be rather limited. I would rely on something else to counter the threat of rain washing out the plants. I do not know what you have as a soil mix, but if you have only the granulated sphagnum peat then I would see it washing out from heavy rains. You may need to try long fiber or even live sphagnum moss as a surface retainer if you haven't already. Another idea would be simply to set up a screen wire cover on posts over the plant bog and extend it to reduce the erosive action of the rain. You can set it up where you could take it down or roll it up when not in use so the plants get plenty of sun otherwise and just open it and put it to use on days that heavy rain threatens.

Christopher