Like other carnivorous plant enthusists, my fascination with them began when I was young. I bought my first Venus Flytrap at age 11 while living in Southern California. It was a small plant that soon died despite my care and devotion. Determined to grow these and other carnivorous plants (CP's), I read every book I could find on the subject - encylopedias, several public library books, and one paperback I bought at the local bookstore. One book suggested growing them in a classic terrarium (soil at the bottom of an acquarium) under a florescent light. The plants didn't grow due to low light and an overly humid tank. Unfortunately, I broke the acquarium's base (soil spilled everywhere) while moving it. The salvaged plants died shortly thereafter. I put this hobby on hiatus indefinately.
Seventeen years later, I set out once again to grow these wonderful plants, only this time with complete success. My entire collection is growing in Albion, California.
My plants live approximately 2 miles East of the coast at 400 feet above sea level. Throughout the spring, summer and fall, day temperatures are typically in the 50's to mid 70's F with nighttime temperatures in the high 40's. In winter temperatures are typically in the 40's to 50's F with nights in the 30's. Rainfall is usually over 60 inches per year and humidity is always above 50%.
Outdoors, I've successfully grown Sarracenia, Drosera, Darlingtonia Californica and Dionaea Muscipula. Indoors, I've grown Nepenthes, Drosera and Pinguicula in glass tanks under florescent lights.
My Darligntonia california or cobra lillies are much bigger than the photos below. Years ago, I transplanted my cobra lillies into a six-foot diameter galvanized steel round water trough filled with long-fibered sphagnum moss with the drain plug removed. The cobras generate long runners and wrap around the trough. The cool foggy weather and rains keep the plants watered and happy. I bought two of my plants from Peter D'Amato's carnivorous plant nursery, California Carnivores. Several years later, I bought Darlingtonia californica seeds from the International Carnivorous Plant Society seed bank. I've successfully grown those seeds into mature full plants. My plants now flower and set seed. They also grow from runners. The plants are very prolific but some people find these plants difficult to grow unless one can grow them in foggy coast-like conditions.