Sarracenia leucophylla var. alba 'white petiole' Baldwin Co, AL

A Baldwin Co, AL alba S. leucophylla — distinguished by the unusual extension of white pigments far down the pitcher tube (petiole, in Mike's terminology), well beyond where most leucophyllas show white. Tall, chameleon-like in coloration, challenging to grow under Mike's NorCal conditions but reaches spectacular potential in better environments. Documented from 2016 to 2021 (19 Mike photos).

Origin

Wild-origin S. leucophylla var. alba from Baldwin County, AL. Original collector and date are [MISSING]. Mike acquired the clone pre-2016.

History

Pre-2016: Mike acquires.
2016-09-21 (post 1): First forum doc. Plant was at peak ~2 years prior (no photos captured). Mike's framing of the breeding goal is here.
2017-08-14 (post 6): "One of my favorite clones, but this thing is elusive and difficult to color up." A surprisingly large early-season trap.
2017-08 (leo posts, broken images): leo's greenhouse-grown plants showcase the clone's larger potential.
2017-09: Multiple updates including an unusual 3rd flush of traps right before dormancy.
2018-09-25: Towers over surrounding leuco clones.
2020-09-29: Decent year but not at peak alba expression.
2021-12-07: Latest update — distinctive look that season.

Standout traits

White pigments extend far down the pitcher tube — the defining trait.
Tall.
Chameleon expression — variable year-to-year.
Strong breeding-target for stretching alba pigments down the tube.

Cultivation notes

Greenhouse / warmer conditions help. Patience for the spectacular years; Mike's NorCal conditions don't always coax full expression.

Photos

See gallery below — 19 Mike-photos spanning 2016 through 2021.

Standout traits

White pigments extend unusually far down the pitcher tube — the defining trait, normally limited to the upper trap region in leucophyllas

Tall — Mike (post 17, 2018-09): 'This clone is always tall for me, it towers over most other leuco clones sharing the same bed'

Chameleon — looks like a normal leucophylla under marginal conditions; whitens dramatically only with the right environment (Mike, 2017-08)

Heads are not naturally fat — Mike notes 'getting this clone to produce fat heads can be a challenge'; performance varies between growers (e.g. leo's greenhouse plants get huge)

Difficult to color up under Mike's NorCal conditions — historically he's gotten one or two amazing years and a string of less impressive ones

Strong breeding-target trait: Mike's stated goal is to combine the white-down-the-tube trait with the brightest white peristomes already in cultivation

Late-season trap quirks: 2017 produced an unusual 3rd flush of traps right before dormancy

Cultivation

Greenhouse / warm-conditions friendly. leo's greenhouse- grown plants reach much larger sizes than Mike's outdoor NorCal plants. Warmer / more controlled conditions help.
Patience. Mike has had multi-year stretches where the clone produced unimpressive traps; the spectacular years require the right environmental alignment.
Doesn't like Mike's NorCal conditions — Mike (2016) noted this and has flagged the need to breed it with more cultivation-friendly clones to improve adaptability.
Standard alba leucophylla culture otherwise.

Photos (19)

white petiole, 2016-09-21 — newer traps less white than the historic peak— Mike Wang

white petiole, 2017-09-18 — fall traps with HCW photobomb— Mike Wang

white petiole, 2018-09-25 — towers over surrounding leuco clones— Mike Wang

white petiole, 2020-09-29 — not quite alba this year but beautiful— Mike Wang

white petiole, 2021-12-07 — looking very different this season— Mike Wang

Naming

Mike (post 1, 2016-09-21): "all leucophyllas have white petioles, but I guess this one was named white petiole because the white extends way far down the trap, and is very bright white." In Mike's terminology, the entire pitcher tube below the lid is the petiole; on this clone the white pigments stretch unusually far down it.