Bogs in the Florida Panhandle

From: Webspur@aol.com
Date: Wed May 03 2000 - 19:58:23 PDT


Date: Wed, 3 May 2000 22:58:23 EDT
From: Webspur@aol.com
To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com
Message-Id: <aabcdefg1391$foo@default>
Subject: Bogs in the Florida Panhandle

Greeting from the heart of pitcher plant country. I just want to report that
weather conditions in Northwest Florida are drastically dry! This is our
third year of drought and rain has been scarce. Many ponds are dried up and
bogs that do not have a spring water source are almost like deserts.
Sarracenia in these rain sensitive bogs are just starting new growth if any
and what is up is often seen wilting or deformed and dry. I know it is very
dry in the peninsular region of Florida too.
  Also the S. flava bog that is being developed located in a commercial
district in the Florida panhandle is still partially intact. Incidentally the
section up for sale right now is just under 1 acre and the owner is asking
$375,000. Any offers? I wonder how pollution from parking lot runoff would
affect the remaining plants if the bog was saved. There are still hundreds of
Sarracenia flava including var. ornata and a few var. rubricorpora as
Described by Dr. D. Schnell (CPN December 1998) and S. psittacina here.
Also present is the usual Drosera capillaris carpet, D. filiformis var.
tracyi, Pinguicula lutea at least 2 species of Calopogon orchids and Pogonia
ophioglossoides - Rose Pogonia orchid. I am happy to say that many of these
carnivorous plants and orchids are now acclimating to the new bog garden at
the USF Tampa botanical garden as well as a few private growers.
Awhile back I discovered another smaller bog near the edge of Fort Walton
Beach that has S. flava and psittacina also that is now zoned commercial and
up for sale by Century 21. The destruction of pitcher plant bogs in the
Florida panhandle is too common!
Randy



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