- Breeder
- Mike Wang
- First described
- 2015
- Type
- single clone named from bulloch breeding line
- Cultivar
- 'red lips'
A Mike-bred selection from a 3-grandparent Bulloch Co black-veins F-generation cross. Heavily veined; red lips that develop as the trap ages. Sibling breeding line to the famous IBV (Improved Black Veins).
Pedigree
Per Mike (post #1, 2015): ((Gulf Coast,FL × black veins) clone B) × (black veins SFL05A)
Three grandparents:
- Gulf Coast, FL ornata
- Black veins clone (Bulloch Co)
- Black veins SFL05A (Bulloch Co)
The Gulf Coast contribution explains the consistent red-lip and heavy-veining expression; the Bulloch grandparents bring the black-vein lineage genetics.
History
Mike introduced in 2015-04-07 (post #1). Within 2 months a waitlist formed (post #12, 2015-06-17). By 2018 (post #29) established divisions were generally available.
rmeyer's 2016-08-27 photo (post #14) showed a rare maximum-color expression that has not repeated since (rmeyer 2020 update, post #30) — illustrating year-to-year color variance even in a generally well- performing clone.
Standout traits
- Consistent red lips
- Heavy venation
- Medium-height vigorous growth
- Flower shows Bulloch Co venation marker
Cultivation notes
- Outdoor NorCal; standard ornata cultivation.
- Trap-aging fills in red lip color.
- Peak color years are rare — don't expect rmeyer-2016-level expression every season.
Standout traits
- Consistently produces red lips on traps (Mike, post #1, 2015)
- Heavily veined — Mike (post #4, 2015): 'crazily heavily veined!' New traps don't always have red lips immediately; red fills in as the trap ages
- Medium-height pitchers (Mike, post #1, 2015) — exact mature height pending
- Vigorous fast grower (Mike, post #1, 2015)
- rmeyer's 2016 specimen showed extreme dark-veined / dark-lipped expression beyond Mike's own examples — the clone has potential for next-level color under the right conditions
- Flower shows venation in sepals — characteristic of Bulloch Co plants (Mike, post #26, 2018)
- Color reproducibility variance: rmeyer (post #30, 2020): 'never again attained the very dark throat coloring of the post four years ago' — once-in-a-while peak conditions drive extreme expression that doesn't reliably repeat
Cultivation
- Outdoor Northern California (Mike) + various other growers.
- Distribution well-established — Mike had a waitlist in 2015 (post #12), then 'established divisions available' by 2018-03-27 (post #29). rmeyer, calen, almightydolla, alabamensis, adaetz100 all have plants.
- Trap-aging fills in red lip color — fresh traps may not show full red yet (Mike, post #4, 2015).
- Peak conditions are rare — rmeyer's 2016 maximum-color year has not repeated; clone shows variable expression year-to-year.
- Polycarbonate / greenhouse vs outdoor: standard ornate clone; no special requirements beyond what works for other Bulloch black- vein selections.
Photos (15)
Naming
Mike's descriptor — clone consistently produces red lips on the trap. rmeyer (post #14, 2016) jokingly proposed the name 'holy shit, look at that crazy-ass extreme everything' after seeing his version of the clone. alabamensis (post #23, 2017) more seriously suggested 'Burgundy.' Neither alternate caught on; 'red lips' has stuck.