Plant of the Day: Roridula

One of the more unusual and rare carnivorous plants in our collection is Roridula. These plants are extraordinarily sticky and have a unique relationship with assassin bugs in their native habitats. Damon will tell you more about these special plants in this video.
www.californiacarnivores.com
#carnivorousplant #plants #gardening #planting #roridula #plantcare

[@dakotahsimonson631]

I absolutely love the roridula and Drosera Regia

[@JasonKonopinski]

I love your videos! Such joy and passion for this weird world of carnivorous plants.

[@California_Carnivores]

Thank you! 😊

[@JasonKonopinski]

@@California_Carnivores You're so very welcome! My plants for you are thriving. :)

[@deandavis8165]

Good take on the Roridula strategy- I had no idea anyone was growing these. I'll watch the website!

[@mrmosty5167]

I first heard of Roridula from Nature's Death Trap documentary, one of my favorites. It also described the relationship between the assassin bugs and spiders

[@bluecapeprincestudios3446]

Nice! I did not even know that they existed!

[@pinecone.jeff.carnivores]

What a cool symbiotic relationship between the assassin bug and the Roridula. So interesting!!! I wonder what the Roridula's evolutionary history looks like? Did they become carnivorous in the manner that other carnivorous plants become bug eating and then the assassin bugs were drawn to the trapped insects to eat? Perhaps followed by a selection process that favored Roridulas that grew in a way that favored assassin bugs to walk amongst its leaves without getting trapped themselves? And then finally, adapting to a much better source of nutrients... assassin bug poop? So fun to ponder.
Thank you so much for sharing!
It'd be cool if you could do a series about the native habitats, plant adaptations, evolutionary history, and any trapping strategies that carnivorous plants have developed, evolved, and employ in the wild for each species of carnivorous plants that you carry.
Cal Carn vids are a treasure trove of awesome info!!! Keep up the great work, folks!!!

[@California_Carnivores]

Thank you! We’re planning on releasing a lot more videos and these ideas are all great! Thanks for the suggestions!

[@dakotahsimonson631]

I'm going to be ordering one soon I'm ready for a challenge 😀

[@valentinobrown5226]

Would you be able to go into more depth on care please?

[@California_Carnivores]

We’ll do a care guide!

[@dragonflyvisionaerialphoto6900]

@@California_Carnivores Can’t wait. Mine is doing good. It is all red and I was worried because most the photos online they are green. But it growing. Hopefully I planted it correctly because this is the only one that I have a terra-cotta pot. A large pot.

[@josephjude1290]

Great video and commentary. How would you care for it at home?

[@California_Carnivores]

Roridula can be a little tricky to grow so we don’t recommend it for beginners. These plants like a Mediterranean climate; preferring warm dry summers and cool wet winters with no exposure to freezes. They do best in lots of direct sun, with good airflow and being watered frequently. They are prone to rot and fungal issues so too much water and humidity can be a problem.

[@dragonflyvisionaerialphoto6900]

Do tell us how to fertilizeit in CA? Assassin bugs and spiders that can co exist in US / Southern CA?

[@California_Carnivores]

There’s a fantastic article by Frank Obregon in the International Carnivorous Plant Society newsletter that should be available online in their archives. Frank grows these plants outdoors in Southern California and has observed some very fascinating bug interactions!

[@dragonflyvisionaerialphoto6900]

@@California_Carnivores that was a good read. Thank you!