Post by jonathancreek on Sept 9, 2019 16:20:47 GMT -5
I have grown carnivorous plants since I was maybe 9, (I am now 28) but it was never more than a few on my windowsill. A year or so ago I got a greenhouse, and moved my collection in there. It was only then I found out through speaking to a friend who was a big collector back in the day that I learned about all the species and hybrids. One thing I really enjoy about these plants is the stories behind them, Schnell's Ghost for example was collected by Donald Schnell in the 1970s, and only when a division was sent to Steven Clemesha in Australia and grown by him, did he discover the plant's yellow flower.
It was reported that the plant may well be extinct back in March 2000 in a playful article by Barry Meyers-Rice "it appears that the anthocyanin-free selection of Sarracenia
leucophylla, also known as Sarracenia ‘Schnell’s Ghost’, may also have disappeared
into botanical ectoplasm (at least in the United States—reports of it in England
continue)."
However luckily that turned out not to be the case. This is a plant that really captivated me due to the way it looked and the story behind it. Also the plant is very green and white but is not completely anthocyanin-free, the new shoots are salmon red and the older pitchers will often develop a little red pigment. There is still a debate as to if only the original clone, or any white-topped leuco with a yellow flower can be considered Schnell's Ghost. I got mine from a online carnivorous plant store here in England, and I am fairly sure mine is the original "Bednar clone" based on the subtleties of the wide lip and fairly upright lid- not that I would be very upset if it wasn't, as it is my first leuco and will always be one of my favourite plants.
Here it is last year after a division (to the right, the left side leuco is Green Mutant), my collection was much smaller back then:
This year it has done really well and I have had countless big pitchers from all the divisions
And even an offcut that had no root and barely any rhizome put out a shoot- this photo is a few weeks old, it is now maybe five inches tall.
I have found this plant the most vigorous leuco in my collection, maybe even more so than Helmut's Delight. Would definitely recommend this plant if you can get hold of it
It was reported that the plant may well be extinct back in March 2000 in a playful article by Barry Meyers-Rice "it appears that the anthocyanin-free selection of Sarracenia
leucophylla, also known as Sarracenia ‘Schnell’s Ghost’, may also have disappeared
into botanical ectoplasm (at least in the United States—reports of it in England
continue)."
However luckily that turned out not to be the case. This is a plant that really captivated me due to the way it looked and the story behind it. Also the plant is very green and white but is not completely anthocyanin-free, the new shoots are salmon red and the older pitchers will often develop a little red pigment. There is still a debate as to if only the original clone, or any white-topped leuco with a yellow flower can be considered Schnell's Ghost. I got mine from a online carnivorous plant store here in England, and I am fairly sure mine is the original "Bednar clone" based on the subtleties of the wide lip and fairly upright lid- not that I would be very upset if it wasn't, as it is my first leuco and will always be one of my favourite plants.
Here it is last year after a division (to the right, the left side leuco is Green Mutant), my collection was much smaller back then:
This year it has done really well and I have had countless big pitchers from all the divisions
And even an offcut that had no root and barely any rhizome put out a shoot- this photo is a few weeks old, it is now maybe five inches tall.
I have found this plant the most vigorous leuco in my collection, maybe even more so than Helmut's Delight. Would definitely recommend this plant if you can get hold of it