Carnivorous Plant Clone Wiki
Awaiting Mike's review. This entry was AI-extracted from forum posts. Treat specifics as a working draft until reviewed.

sarracenia rubra ssp. wherryi

Sarracenia rubra ssp. wherryi 'Chatom Giant' Washington Co, AL

Washington Co, AL

First described
2012
Type
individual clone extirpated site conservation
Cultivar
'Chatom Giant'

Origin

Wild origin Chatom area, Washington Co, AL. Mike's 2013 site visit confirmed the historic site is now thick forest with no remaining Sarracenia. Mike acquired the clone from Art Junier; "this clone has been in cultivation for more than 20 years" (Mike, post #6, 2015-07-07).

History

  • 2012-05-27 — Mike's first thread post; emphasizes the height (3 ft) and extreme vigor; flags the European 'Chatom Giant' confusion
  • 2012-12 — winter retention documented
  • 2013 — Mike visits the historic site; confirms total destruction; field experts had reported the population was overgrown/etiolated by 2004
  • 2015-07-07 — Mike's "I'm shocked by how little breeding has been done with it" callout
  • 2016, 2017, 2020-2024 — sustained Mike-post updates; consistent performance; long fall trap retention; intensified red color in cold spring temperatures

Standout traits

  • 3 ft tall — exceptional for any rubra
  • Long-lasting fall traps holding into December
  • Bright candy-apple-red color
  • Possible alata-genetics (wireman's comment) — Mike echoes the broader hypothesis that many Sarracenia color variants are of hybrid origin
  • Conservation-significant: site is destroyed; clone exists almost entirely in cultivation

Cultivation notes

Outdoor Northern California. Vigorous, forms large specimens over 20+ year cultivation. Cold spring temperatures intensify color.

Photos

Eleven Mike-source photos imported, 2012-2024. See photos[].

Standout traits

  • Up to 3 ft tall — exceptional for rubra
  • Extremely vigorous; forms beautiful large specimens over time
  • Long-lasting traps — hold good condition into December (post #16, 2020-12-09)
  • Bright candy-apple-red color (acalvin, post #18, 2022-10-06)
  • Mike's 2017 critique: 'I'm shocked by how little breeding has been done with it'
  • Site historically had gigantic S. psittacina too (Mike learned in field)
  • wireman (post #7, 2015-07): 'without a doubt has some alata genetics behind it'

Cultivation

Outdoor Northern California for Mike. Acquired from Art Junier; in cultivation 20+ years. Traps last very long — still in good shape in December. Cold spring temperatures bring out darker color (sermuncheriv, post #14, 2019-02-28).

Photos (11)

Spring pitchers, 2012-05-27— Mike Wang
Chatom Giant (upper left) with S. jonesii (right), 2012-05— Mike Wang
Winter dormancy, fall pitchers retained, 2012-12— Mike Wang
2015-07-02 — post-2013-site-visit context— Mike Wang
2016-10-05— Mike Wang
2017-08-20— Mike Wang
2020-09-21— Mike Wang
December 2020 — long-lasting fall traps— Mike Wang
2023-10-21— Mike Wang
2023-11-14— Mike Wang
November 2024 update— Mike Wang

Naming

'Chatom Giant' = locality + size descriptor. Mike (post #1, 2012-05-27): "Clones in Europe called Chatom Giant look completely different. This one is the real deal!" — there is documented confusion about which plant carries the cultivar name in different markets.