Thinking about trying my hand at growing Byblis

[normando]

So iv succesfuly been growing cp's on the central coast of california fro some years now. I mostly grow outdoors here year round and just recently started a terrarium w/no casulties yet (knock on wood!) I also have recently aquired an interest in the "harder to find" cp's such as Heliamphora and cephalotus, I also just got a brocchinia reducta that im very fond of. So w/that said I think im ready to try my hand at growing a Byblis. So I have a couple questions (probly dumb ones so bare with me) first would be, what species would be good for 1st time Byblis growers? Could I grow any specie of Byblis outdoors here in cen cal (zone 9 or 16 acording t the western gardenbook)? Lastly where can I obtain some plants or is there a certain person or store (online or otherwise) that has good plants for sale or trade? Id rather not have to start from seed but I will if thats the only way I can get my hands on this plant but I would rather start w/a very healthy specimen. Thanks for any help provided and much love and peace from Cen Cal!

[adamcross]

B. gigantea should do well in your climate outside, and can be grown successfully as a perennial for several years. Similarly, B. lamellata would be suitable if you were able to replicate the drier habitat it inhabits. All other species are tropical or arid-tropical and would likely struggle to do well outdoors- they are all annuals and require a long, dry, hot winter (as seeds in the soil seed bank) followed by a hot, wet summer. While I've had some success with B. filifolia, B. liniflora, B. guehoi, B. rorida and B. aquatica outdoors from seed, they grow far better under glass.

I'm doubtful you'd be able to obtain many (if any) Byblis species as mature plants, particularly the short lived tropical annuals. Seed is extremely easy to germinate, however, and the plants grow rapidly and start flowering in a couple of months under the right conditions.