Hello everyone. I have just got a Venus Fly Trap in Uganda for my son.
Does anyone have experience in growing them in such conditions? My two concerns are a. Tropical storms- would the heavy down pours damage the plant. b. the tropical sunshine would it get sun burn? As we are about 3,000 ft above sea level it gets quite cool most nights so I imagine that helps.
Any ideas would be great.
PS I have reposted this from the Carnivorous Plants as there was no response! Thanks
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Venus Fly Trap in Africa?
Occasionally some of those plants are sold by one of the big stores here. They're a novelty so people keep them a little while before they perish. You're just off the equator (I'm 12 degrees off), so the sun is intense. What compounds the problem is your altitude, less atmosphere means less filtering of the sunlight, more intense sun. I'm tropical lowlands, so it would be slightly less intense here. But with your altitude your temperatures would be bit lower, both day and night. However, your temperatures in the coldest time of year wouldn't get anywhere near what those plants get in their native habitat, they're not a tropical plant. So you being in an equatorial place would be no good for them, but your higher altitude would be a benefit out of direct sun (except when the sun is near its lowest points.
Seeing as you already have it, please keep us informed how it goes. You just might be able to maintain the "balancing act" it needs. Good luck with it.
Thanks Tropicbreeze, It is good to think thru these things. I have it under a mesh shade in a tray of water and so far it seems to be pretty healthy so that is good. The traps that it had all closed up on the journey (I carried it bare root wrapped in wet paper towels and all the traps closed up). Now it is back in its peat pot (peat is another thing which is total unavailable out here).
The only thing is that its is away from where Noah my son can check on it so I might try it in the house when it has settled down a bit.