- First described
- 2018
A Baldwin Co, AL alba S. leucophylla selection — the standout of a batch of ~100 siblings, named for that distinction. Documented in two forum threads, the second a placeholder pointer to the first.
Origin
Wild-lineage S. leucophylla var. alba from Baldwin County, AL. Selected by Mike from a batch of 100+ plants — by his account it was the only one that was "blindingly white," which is what earned it the informal "best of batch" label.
The original wild-collection details and the source of the batch are [MISSING] in the source threads — no collector, no year, no specific Baldwin Co locality.
History
- Pre-2018: Selection made from a batch of 100+ sibling plants. The batch's origin (wild-collected seed? a specific cross?) is not detailed in either thread. [MISSING]
- 2018-04-03 (thread 4084): A one-line forum post pointing to thread 4253 — "see this thread for best of batch."
- 2018-08-24 (thread 4253, post #1): The plant's first proper documentation. Mike explains the name and posts three photos from 2018-08-18. Late-summer traps not the showiest because cool Bay Area weather delayed growth. Mike notes the chameleon-like variability: "it doesn't always appear alba-ey, but this year (so far) it's looking quite white."
- 2022-11-03 (thread 4253, post #2): Update with three more photos. Mike: "this clone is quite difficult to tease out the alba from it, and it has performed in the past, just haven't photographed it in all its glory." Notes the same chameleon character — one trap in the 2022 photos looks regular while another on the same plant is clearly alba.
Standout traits
- Selection winner. Picked out of 100+ siblings as the only plant that was blindingly white at selection time.
- Chameleon expression. Very variable — some pitchers look ordinary while others on the same plant in the same season look unmistakably alba. Mike's 2022 photos document this directly.
- Latent potential. Mike's 2022 commentary suggests the clone has performed beautifully in the past but those moments haven't been well photographed.
Cultivation notes
No clone-specific cultivation regime is given in either thread. Mike grows it in his standard Bay Area conditions — late summer in San Francisco being unusually cool (60s°F highs, low-to-mid 50s°F lows), which holds back the late-summer trap flush more than would happen on the Gulf Coast.
Photos
See gallery below.
Standout traits
- Was the only blindingly-white plant in a batch of 100+ siblings
- Chameleon genetics — doesn't always express the alba phenotype; some traps look quite ordinary while others on the same plant are snow-white
- Late-summer traps not the showiest; the alba character reads more clearly to a seasoned eye than to a casual viewer
- Mike: 'this thang is very alba-esque' [direct quote, 2018]
Cultivation
No clone-specific cultivation notes were posted. Mike grows it in the standard San Francisco Bay Area conditions used for his leucophylla collection (highs 60s°F / lows low-to-mid 50s°F in late summer per his 2018 post — markedly cooler than the plant's native Gulf Coast range, which delays its late-summer growth).
Photos (6)
Naming
Mike's pun on Charles Dickens — "It was the best of batch....it was the worst of batch!" The plant was, by Mike's account, the standout of a batch of 100+ siblings — the only one that was "blindingly white," which is what earned it the informal "best of batch" label.