Expert: Sarracenia Northwest - 4/22/2011

Question
Hi Jacob! This isn't really a cp question but a question thats bugging me for a long long time. well it's about sarracenua hybrids sorta. Like say you have a sarracenua flava and leuco in bloom at the same time. Would the hybrid (sarracenia x moorei) look the same if the pollen from the leuco went to the flava successfully and the other way around. Or would you still get a x morrei but to different forms???

Answer
When making hybrids, it's important to determine which plant will be your mother plant (the plant that will receive the pollen and produce the seeds).  The progeny will have characteristics that defines the hybrid, but most will have characteristics that accentuate the mother plant.  So in the case of leucophylla x flava, the progeny will show have a blend of both parents, but the majority will have characteristics that are more familiar with leucophylla.  If you were to reverse the cross, you will have the majority of the progeny favoring the characteristics of flava, but they will still have elements of leucophylla.  Knowing this, you can create a multitude of varieties of the same hybrid.  

For information on how to pollinate Sarracenia, watch our video podcast on the subject:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ug3_JJlJmI0

I also recommend taking a look at the Carnivorous Plant Photo Finder.  You'll find lots of examples of the same hybrid.
http://www.cpphotofinder.com/sarracenia-x-moorei-3061.html

Good growing!
Jacob Farin