Preserving the Pitcher Plant

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by Cate House

epending on whose taxonomy you use, there are seven to nine different wild species of pitcher plants. When one species crosses with another, a hybrid, with characteristics of both parents, results. "Not all species of plants can do that," Gardner says. "Some plant species don't want to get muddied up by genetic material, so they only perpetuate themselves."

Pitcher plant hybrids are also fertile, which isn't always the case with other hybrids. A lot of times hybrids are functionally infertile—for some reason they can't cross back.

But, Gardner explains, you can take a hybrid pitcher plant and cross it back with one of the original species or with another hybrid that represents two completely different species, and the resulting hybrid will have genetic material of four different wild types. You can then take that one and cross it back with another hybrid or straight species. "The breeding potential of pitcher plants is virtually infinite," Gardner says.

After breeding pitcher plants for more than a decade, Gardner and Mellichamp have figured out which varieties make better hybrids. All are fertile, but some varieties are better breeders.

The goal is to create plants that have compact growth; vigorous, colorful leaves; good winter foliage; and substance (they're thick walled and erect). While pitcher plants can grow up to a dramatic three feet tall, Gardner explains that plant-breeding trends are toward more compact plants because most people tend to have small spaces to garden. A compact plant can grow on a windowsill.

ll southeastern pitcher plants are dormant in the winter—most turn brown and shrivel up—but there are some, such as the purple pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpurea), which hold their foliage all year long. It's these varieties that Gardner and Mellichamp like to use for breeding. "One of the neat things about our hybrids," Gardner says, "is that they're more likely to hold their foliage better than wild ones. Often, the colors get even more colorful in the dormant stage."

Each spring, Gardner and Mellichamp choose the "parents," keeping in mind that the bigger plant needs to be the female because it uses a lot of energy for seed production. Since the flowers on pitcher plants are "perfect"—each has male and female parts—the plant chosen to be the female has to be emasculated before it can be fertilized; otherwise, it might fertilize itself.

 

Next: "test tube babies"

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