You ever hear one of those “near death” or “back from the dead” stories? If you have, you’ve probably heard about the peaceful feeling and the bright white light! Well if my plants could talk, they’d be telling me all about that white light!!!!
As I mentioned in a previous post, I figured I’d deal with some losses due to the extreme cold this winter. I reported that my Drosera binatas had died, as did a few of my Sarracenia due to heaving out of the soil from the intense freeze!
I ended up leaving the “dead” plants in the ground, hoping that they might come back! Actually the truth is, I never got around to pulling them out and giving them a proper burial in the composter. By the time I made the time to get them out and compost them, low an behold, they’ve come back to life. Some are extremely messed up, like this psittacina below.
Here is photo of my binatas! I was shocked
Another plant that I thought was dead was one of my two flava “red tube” clones. One is dead… but this one has been growing back and finally has produced a couple of leaves! INSANE!
I was convinced that this gulf coast purpurea was done! Looks like its gonna make it after all.
So the lesson to be learned here, for people growing Sarracenia in cold climates, don’t pitch the pitcher plants if they look dead in early spring cause they will come back when they see the light!
CJM
Zone 6b 
Same experience here. I was recently surprised to see various Drosera that I thought were fried by two weeks of 8F here in Portland, OR spring to life just in the last couple weeks…even capensis!
Really enjoy your posts! Keep ’em coming!!
That’s great news! I should write a book on “near death experiences with CP” LOL
I’m am so grateful for Carl’s growing outdoors in good ol Canada. Carl is the pillar of Sarracenia & Canada in the same sentence, I belive if it wasn’t for him & his trial & error & sacrificing plants we wouldn’t know nearly as much as we do now:) Thanks Carl & family for putting up with my endless questions & all you’s have endeavoured for the growing Carniverous plants in Canada 🙂 !!
Wow! Thanks!
Carl, this post has inspired me a bit. I’m headed to Zone 4b and will try a few (non-natives) outside this winter (with mulching). I’ll let you know this time next year whether they survived.
That is awesome… I’m sure they will be fine! Mulch, but keep snow piled on as well! I actually shovel snow off my back lawn to pile on the bogs at times 🙂
What a refreshing article, I love the lightness, yet the seriousness of the articles. It is nice to hear the plants have survived.
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Dear Carl,
Excellent post. I am elated to see that your plants have come back from the dead! I am particularly interested in the resurrection of your binatas – which, even in ice age New Zealand at about 20,000 yrs ago, would not have seen such harsh winters as the one we witnessed this past year in northeast North America. Your ongoing experiment is demonstrating a fundamental characteristic of these plants that has gone unrealized, and is likely to teach us something very important about how carnivorous plants have evolved over the Pleistocene. I find this very exciting!
With best regards,
Aaron