Easter and Pitcher Plants

[Ladyofthelakes]

We were on our way out to our camp and hubby said lets walk into Pine Lake. The pitcher plants were so pretty I thought you all might like to see them.

Silly rabbit, those first set of photos are from last year. I'll have to go back into my folder and get the right ones.

The last 4 photos are here on the island on the shoreline of Pine lake. It is a small inland lake with a deep bog all around it.

[Ron]

Hi Vivienne, you are so lucky to visit such places.
I grew theses years ago and would love to see them growing wild.
Many Thanks

[Filb]

Very cool that you've got a bog near your house. They're so cool!
There are some orchids that grow in fens (the stage of wetland successionally before bogs) so keep an eye out!

[berniep]

G'Day Vivienne

Very nice pics, thanks for showing us.

Cheers
Bernie

[Ladyofthelakes]

Hi Ron, Glad you all enjoyed the pics. I was surprised of the beautiful color this time of year.

Filb, You know I am not certain that it is a bog, I called it that ??? Now a Fen, I read about that recently, but not sure the difference between Fen and Bog. Any way it was very wet and hard walking to get to the plants.

Your welcome Bernie, I am glad you enjoyed the pics.

[Filb]

If you've got pitcher plants then it is either a bog or a poor fen. A fen usually has water running through it.
Might be able to find some sundews as well!

[Ladyofthelakes]

Filb, I guess it must be a fen then. What are sundews?

What did you study in college? I enjoy your posts and knowledge very much.

[Puddy1]

Thanks for sharing Vivienne. They are such unusual looking plants. I wonder...we have wetlands here, there should be those type of plants. I need to check it out.

[orchids4me]

Those are cool!
Thanks for sharing them
Emmaye

[Dorchid]

That's so cool, I didn't know that pitcher plants grew in Mi. I thought they were all tropical plants. (shows how much I know-haha!)

[Filb]

Originally Posted by Ladyofthelakes

Filb, I guess it must be a fen then. What are sundews?

What did you study in college? I enjoy your posts and knowledge very much.

Well thanks, I like to share
I studied botany and took a particular interest in wetland biology.

[Ladyofthelakes]

Dorchid Your correct, there are tropical pitcher plants. They look quite different from ours up here. Not sure, but I think the tropical one grow in trees. Ours are in the ground as you saw. The tropical ones are much larger Some of our geeks grow them. You should do a search in the gallery just to see them.

Rachel Did you by chance go to MSU, or U of M? Ellen Weatherbee if that is the correct spelling owns property up here and I have gone on nature walks with her as group leader. She was a Botany Professor. No nonsense lady! I enjoyed her very much. She has an amazing knowledge of the flora up here. She is the one who first organized a walk up here on M-134 to see what the Nature Conservancy had on newly acquired property.

[Filb]

I did go to MSU but I don't recognize her name.
Oh and sundews by the way are another carnivorous plant that grow in fens.

[LouisW]

Thanks for posting LadyOfTheLakes! I love seeing stuff in the wild, It really changes your perspective on them.

Originally Posted by Ladyofthelakes

Dorchid Your correct, there are tropical pitcher plants. They look quite different from ours up here. Not sure, but I think the tropical one grow in trees.

Yes, they are in the genus Napenthes. They are long and vine-like and yes, many are epiphitic although they are generally growing in a peat mixture in cultivation.

[Ladyofthelakes]

LouisW You are very welcome. I am hoping to get back into Pine Lake to see them as of right now that is the only place where I know they are. Its a short walk from the two track trail, but there are wolves back in there and at our camp.

Of course with all the swamp land up here on the island, surely there are more.

This summer I plan on going across to the conservancy area where the pitcher plants are located. Those are the first 4 pictures in this post. It seems that I get over there just at the last of the blooming.

Our first orchids to bloom up here are the Yellow Lady Slipper. I should look up the latin name......

[LouisW]

How cool! I love bogs. There are a few here in Spain but they are pools of water that stagnate in the mountains so I dont exactly know where to find them. They do have carniverous plants though.

Your yellow lady slipper is a Cypripedium. If its the same yellow lady slipper that we have back in New Mexico then its Cyp. parviflorum. It may be a different one so you will have to look for yourself but Cyp. is the only genus of true slipper in the United States. (the Fairy Slipper, Calypso bulbosa, is not related)