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Propagation

Propagating Byblis

Propagating Byblis, the rainbow plants: mainly from seed, which needs smoke or gibberellic acid in all but one species. Larger annuals root from cuttings.

By Ian Dixon

Seed is the way to propagate Byblis, and the trick is knowing which seed needs help. B. liniflora comes up untreated in warmth and is the species to start with; everything else wants smoke or a weak gibberellic-acid soak first, and all but B. liniflora and B. aquatica need pollen from a second clone to set seed at all. The big scrambling annuals root from stem cuttings, which is how the cultivar ‘Goliath’ is kept going, and the two perennials can be divided or grown from thick root pieces once they are large.

Seed

Moderate

When: Annuals: sow in spring or any warm, bright season. Perennials: sow in autumn, or whenever a warm bright spot is available.

Pollinate, collect the pods a few weeks later, and sow on a sandy mix in warmth. B. liniflora and B. aquatica self-pollinate and germinate untreated; every other species needs pollen from a different clone and a smoke or gibberellic-acid treatment before it will germinate.

  1. B. liniflora and B. aquatica set seed on their own, though teasing the flowers with a toothpick improves the crop. All other species, annual or perennial, need pollen from a genetically different seed-grown plant.
  2. The perennials and most annuals release pollen only under vibration: hold paper beneath the flower, touch the centre with a vibrating tuning fork, and brush the pollen cloud onto the stigma of a flower on another plant.
  3. Pods brown and split a few weeks later, each holding up to a couple of dozen seeds. Sow fresh after a short rest, or store dry in the refrigerator.
  4. Treat seed of every species except B. liniflora. Easiest is a 24-hour soak in gibberellic acid at about 10 ppm, folded in a damp paper towel. Smoke also works: press the seed onto damp mix in a clay or ceramic pot, burn a small pile of dry grass or paper on the surface, let it cool, blow off the ash and water; or use a commercial liquid-smoke or smoke-primer product as a soak.
  5. Sow on the surface of a 2:1 sand and peat mix, keep it wet and warm, 20 to 30 C (70 to 85 F), with 8 to 10 hours of direct light a day.
  6. Sow annuals thinly in their final pot, 10 to 15 cm deep; they do not tolerate transplanting. Perennials can be moved carefully while small.
Medium
2:1 sand and peat, optionally with a part of pumice, perlite or lava rock.
Conditions
Warm, wet and bright: 20 to 30 C with strong light.
Time to result
Most treated seed germinates in two to four weeks; untreated seed of the smoke-dependent species may take up to a year or never. Annuals can flower within weeks; perennial seedlings may flower by their first spring.

Watch out for

  • Gibberellic-acid recipes range from 10 ppm up to around one part in a thousand, a hundred times stronger; a 24-hour soak at 10 ppm is the most reliable treatment. Follow the weaker figure; strong GA3 produces weak, etiolated seedlings.
  • Heat alone does not trigger germination; it is the smoke chemicals that matter.
  • Damping-off in seedlings; sow thinly and keep the air moving. Slugs and snails eat young plants.

Sources for this method

  1. Peter D'Amato, The Savage Garden, Revised Edition (Ten Speed Press, 2013), The Rainbow Plants chapter, propagation section. ISBN 978-1-60774-410-8
  2. ICPS: Growing Byblis Successfully (accessed )

Stem cuttings

Moderate

When: During active growth, from side branches that have hardened slightly.

Applies to: The large scrambling annuals, especially B. filifolia, B. rorida and the cultivar 'Goliath'; perennials can also be tried.

Cut side branches from the main stem, insert them in long-fibre sphagnum to root under humid, warm, bright conditions, then move the rooted cuttings to the usual sand and peat mix.

  1. Cut healthy side branches cleanly from the main stem.
  2. Insert the cut ends into damp long-fibre sphagnum and keep them humid, warm and brightly lit.
  3. Once roots have formed, pot the cuttings into 2:1 sand and peat and harden them off gradually.
Medium
Long-fibre sphagnum for rooting; 2:1 sand and peat afterwards.
Conditions
Humid, warm, bright.
Time to result
Roots in a few weeks.

Watch out for

  • The small annuals such as B. liniflora are better simply resown from seed.
  • Cuttings rot in stagnant, waterlogged sphagnum; keep it damp and the air fresh.

Sources for this method

  1. Peter D'Amato, The Savage Garden, Revised Edition (Ten Speed Press, 2013), The Rainbow Plants chapter, propagation section and cultivar notes. ISBN 978-1-60774-410-8
  2. Singapore National Parks Board, Flora and Fauna Web: Byblis rorida (accessed )

Division

Moderate

When: Autumn or early spring, when growth is active and temperatures are mild.

Applies to: The perennial species B. gigantea and B. lamellata.

The woody rootstock of the perennials develops several growing points over the years. Unpot, rinse, and cut the crowns apart with a few roots each.

  1. Unpot the plant and wash the sandy mix off the rootstock.
  2. Cut the woody rhizome between growing points so that each piece keeps some roots.
  3. Repot in 2:1 sand and peat and keep the divisions just damp, bright and sheltered until they are growing again.
Medium
2:1 sand and peat.
Conditions
Bright, mild, just damp.
Time to result
Divisions resume growth within weeks.

Watch out for

  • The roots are fine and fragile; expect some setback and do not divide small plants.

Sources for this method

  1. Peter D'Amato, The Savage Garden, Revised Edition (Ten Speed Press, 2013), The Rainbow Plants chapter, propagation section. ISBN 978-1-60774-410-8

Root cuttings

Moderate

When: When a mature perennial is unpotted for division.

Applies to: The perennial species B. gigantea and B. lamellata.

Lay 5 cm pieces of the oldest, thickest roots on the surface of the mix, cover lightly and keep damp, humid and bright. Plantlets appear in several weeks.

  1. Take the thickest, oldest roots from a plant being repotted and cut them into pieces about 5 cm (2 in) long.
  2. Lay the pieces on the mix, cover them lightly and keep the pot damp and humid in bright light.
  3. Pot the plantlets once they have leaves and roots of their own.
Medium
2:1 sand and peat.
Conditions
Damp, humid, bright.
Time to result
Plantlets in several weeks.

Watch out for

  • Thin young roots rarely sprout; use the thick old ones.

Sources for this method

  1. Peter D'Amato, The Savage Garden, Revised Edition (Ten Speed Press, 2013), The Rainbow Plants chapter, propagation section. ISBN 978-1-60774-410-8

Sources

References for the facts on this page.

  1. Peter D'Amato, The Savage Garden, Revised Edition (Ten Speed Press, 2013), The Rainbow Plants chapter. ISBN 978-1-60774-410-8

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