- Collector
- Bob Hanrahan
- First described
- 2017
- Into cultivation
- 1980s
The most iconic Sarracenia hybrid cultivar in cultivation. A natural S. × moorei (flava × leucophylla) discovered by the late Bob Hanrahan growing wild near a freeway in Santa Rosa Co, FL in the 1980s, dug up before the site became a gas station, and named as a cultivar at the 1997 ICPS Atlanta meeting field trip to Bob's property. Mike was a teenager on that 1997 trip and has documented the clone with both his own contemporary photos and unique historical photos from the 1990s and 2010s. 49 photos total spanning 1997 through 2024.
Origin
Wild-discovered by Bob Hanrahan in the 1980s growing near a freeway in Santa Rosa County, FL. Hanrahan dug it up and established it on his private Alabama property; the original wild site was later destroyed (became a gas station). Mike (post 1, 2017-07-30) frames the dig as a controversial-in-retrospect but genetics-saving act.
In May 1997 the ICPS held a meeting in Atlanta with a field trip to Bob's property. According to Mike's recollection, Barry Rice (or another senior CP figure on the trip) saw the plant and immediately recognized it as cultivar-worthy. The cultivar was registered shortly thereafter and named for Adrian Slack (the British CP author).
History
- 1980s: Bob Hanrahan finds the plant near a Santa Rosa Co, FL freeway and digs it up.
- 1990s: Original wild site destroyed (gas station); the cultivated plant on Bob's property is the surviving line.
- May 1997: ICPS Atlanta meeting field trip to Bob's; cultivar designation discussed and subsequently registered.
- 2013-07-27: Mike's California Carnivores greenhouse photos (post 56, retrospective).
- 2017-07-30 (post 1): Mike's substantive forum-thread launch with provenance writeup and first contemporary photos. Photos are of divisions from the original Hanrahan plant.
- 2018-2024: Multiple update threads documenting seasonal variance, growing techniques, and the elusive pink-on-top phenotype.
- 2017-08 (post 10, naturenuts): Could not locate the original plant on Bob's property during a 2017 visit.
Standout traits
- Iconic, widely-distributed cultivar.
- White / pale pitchers with extreme phenotypic variance.
- Pink blush on new traps that disappears within a week.
- Heat-loving — outperforms in greenhouses / warmer climates.
- New peat lover — color drops in old soil.
- Vigorous propagation by division.
- Hybrid breeding parent producing remarkable offspring.
Cultivation notes
See the inline notes and the post 56 (2023-04-03) summary by Mike in this thread. Key points:
- Heat is the limiting factor in cool climates — minimize standing tray water to let peat warm up.
- Repot in fresh peat every 1-2 years for peak color.
- Don't expect great spring traps in PNW / cool climates; late-summer / fall is the showtime.
- Adrian Slack is leuco-leaning in cold tolerance — protect from spring/freeze swings.
Photos
See gallery below — 49 photos spanning 1997 through 2024. Mike- authored except for the historical 1997 ICPS field-trip photos (photographer unstated; shared by Mike).
Standout traits
- Iconic, widely-distributed Sarracenia cultivar — among the most recognizable hybrid clones in cultivation
- White / pale pitchers with extreme phenotypic variance year-to-year and across climates
- New traps can open with a pinkish blush on top that disappears as the trap ages — Mike (post 42, 2021-07-26) documented same trap going from pink-blush to clean-white in a single week
- Greenhouse-grown plants reach much larger size and richer color than outdoor-grown in cool climates
- Thrives on heat — Mike (post 56, 2023-04-03) advises minimal water in the tray to let the peat warm up in cool climates
- Loves new peat — color expression drops markedly in 3+ year old soil; refresh peat regularly
- Has spawned countless tissue-cultured plants; original line was multiplied from a small batch (<200 plants) which limits offtype risk
- Source bog is largely destroyed (the original site became a gas station; nearby population is in steep decline per 2017-2018 forum reports)
- Used as a hybrid breeding parent — Mike (post 1): 'this plant alone has created some stunning hybrids many of us wouldn't have ever dreamed possible'
Cultivation
- Heat-loving. Mike (post 56, 2023): in cool / Pacific Northwest climates, don't sit the plant in large volumes of standing water — water cools the soil overnight and limits daytime warming. Use only enough tray water to keep peat hydrated; the peat will heat up faster in sun, hitting optimal soil temperatures.
- Fresh peat dramatically improves color. Both Mike and Bristol confirm: 3-year-old peat = washed-out plant; new peat (especially Theirault & Hachey) brings the color back. Repot every 1-2 years if peak color matters.
- Greenhouse / warmer-climate culture is the reference for full expression. Outdoor cool-climate plants underperform spring traps but can produce nice fall traps.
- Cold-tolerance is limited — leaning leucophylla rather than flava on this trait. scryllarus's plant rotted from spring/sub-zero swings in MO winter 2021-22.
- Vigorous propagation by division — scryllarus went 1 → 7 growth points in a season.
Photos (49)
Naming
Named for Adrian Slack, the influential British carnivorous- plant author. Mike (post 11, 2018-04-18): "In 1997, the ICPS was given a tour of Bob's property, and I believe it was on this trip where either Barry Rice or someone saw this plant and said 'HOLY (insert explicative)! This should be a cultivar.'" Mike was a kid on that 1997 field trip and remembers Peter D'Amato and Barry Rice being overly excited about the plant. The cultivar was registered shortly after.