Re: Cooling for Darlingtonia

Bob Beer (bbeer@u.washington.edu)
Thu, 29 Dec 1994 10:30:12 -0800 (PST)

I think the key is cooling off at night. Here in Seattle, I grow my
Darlingtonias outside all year around. I have them in full sun, and
during the height of summer, the only time I have had any trouble with
them is a) when I let them get really dried out once on a hot day, and b)
when the raccoons discovered that the insects inside were good to eat
(can't account for taste I guess...).

We have a pretty mild climate, but in July and August the temp can get up
to the high 90s or even (gasp!) 100. But even on such days, the nightime
temps usually go below 70, and mid 60s is common, so they always get the
nighttime coolness. And our summers are not humid generally. I pour
water over the roots when I water the plants, but I don't make a point of
doing it every day by any means.

Something else that might help those in hotter climates, (especially with
hot nights) is the fact that although they grow in full sun, they will
also grow in quite a bit of shade with no leaf deformation, and this way
the growing medium will not get so heated. One person here grew them
last year on a porch on the East side of the house; they got a little
morning sun and shade thereafter. They looked great.

Bob