Pitcher Plants and Giant Redwoods

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August 18-19, 2010: We knew we were heading to see the Giant Redwoods, but we didn't know what lurked in the bogs along the Smith River before we got there: Pitcher plants! That's right, carnivorous plants which grow in nutrient-poor, serpentine (the rock, that is) bogs where almost nothing else will grow. The pitcher plants hold water containing microbes, which eat the insects which get trapped, and the plants can then absorb the released nutients, especially the nitrates, which aren't available in the soil.

The pitcher plants, also called cobra plants—can you see why?--have upper hoods with transparent sections which allow light in, a kind of sunroof arrangement, toward which the insects fly to escape, but they can't get out and evenutally succumb to the liquid lake below. Oh dear, save me from pitcher plants!

I think the pictures pretty much speak for themselves this time.

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Photos

Pitcher plants #1
The pitcher plants have hoods which allow in light. The insects trapped fly toward the light, but can't get out.

Pitcher plants #2
Can you see why these are also called cobra plants?

Pitcher plants #3
A plethora of pitcher plants

Pitcher plants #4
Good idea for a horror film? They look so friendly.

Uprooted redwood
The roots are remarkably shallow for such ginormous trees.

Height is relative!
Even the up-the-nostril shot can't capture the height of these trees.

Burls
If a tree gets damaged, these burls, which look like tumors but are a sort of bud, will begin to grow.

Trees out of trees
Phikll walks the length of a fallen trunck, out of which are growing new trees.

Banana slug
Our first encounter--looked like baby poo color to me.

Next First Saturday!
Martha's new home: Welcome to the site of our next dinner together.

The Pacific Ocean at last!
Out of the forest and into the light.

The fog effects
The local fog helps the Redwoods endure along the coast, and also contributes to the moss covering on this tree.

Bigger across then me
These trees are hard to hug!

Patrick's Point campsite
All sites have little wooden cabinets for storing your food.

Comments

[bonnie]

Wow! I am loving all the photos you are taking! The redwood are so impressive! And from the shot of Phil - his nares is pretty impressive as well!!

[Michelle Cavanagh]

The attack of the Pitcher Plants
They certainly look ominous! But the beautiful Redwoods make up for any menace the Pitcher plants seem to extrude. Was that by any chance the Jedebiah Smith Redwood State Park you were in? M xx