Description and review of the 53rd Annual Bromeliad and Carnivorous Plant Show & Sale held at the Shepard Garden & Arts Center.
The two-day Bromeliad and Carnivorous Plant Society Show & Sale was held in mid-June. I attended on Sunday, the second day.
I have enjoyed the show and sale in the years past. This year was no different, plus I learned something very surprising (to me). Did you know that oyster mushrooms are carnivorous? More on that a bit later.
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The bromeliad and carnivorous plants displayed inside the Shepard Garden & Arts Center belonged to members of the Society. Each had an identifying card for the benefit of the public. As usual, members of the Society were available to answer any and all questions. This year I had several.
The tables in the large room adjacent to the entrance held row after row of plants. At the end of the room was a large display that was, in fact, a work of art.
A Bit About Bromeliads
Bromeliads grown as houseplants are slow-growing and known for their low maintenance.
The plants offer a wide variety of interesting colors and textures. Most bromeliads only bloom once during their lifetime. After flowering, the plant is in decline. However, bromeliads produce “pups” that can be removed to start new identical plants.
A Bit About Carnivorous Plants
One of the adjacent rooms was devoted to carnivorous plants. There are many species of carnivorous plants but only a few kinds of traps. Types of traps include:
- Hair-trigger traps that snap shut when insects stumble through them
- Droplets at the end of long leaf hairs that close around a trapped insect to digest it
- One-way passage traps where stiff hairs prevent backing out
- Sticky leaves
- Traps that suck in (vacuum-like) insects
As I walked along the tables looking over the interesting plants on display, I spotted an unmistakable cluster of oyster mushrooms. Intrigued, I asked what they were doing there. It turns out that oyster mushrooms are carnivorous!
The Scientific American article, How a Carnivorous Mushroom Poisons its Prey, explains the process. The “prey” are nematodes (aka roundworms), the most abundant animals in the soil.
The article makes the interesting observation that oyster mushrooms are the “…only vegan food that can itself eat meat”.
Plant Sale
The outside courtyard displayed a wide variety of plants for sale – both bromeliad and carnivorous. From what I gather, members of the Bromeliad and Carnivorous Plant Society did a brisk business both days.
If you believe you are likely to purchase a plant or plants, you may therefore want to plan to attend the first day of the event.
To Sum Up
To sum up, next year I plan to attend on Saturday, with the intent to purchase a bromeliad. I have identified what I think will be the perfect spot for a plant that thrives in indirect sunlight.
See related blog posts: Shepard Garden & Arts Center Spring Sale and Shepard Garden & Arts Center Fall Sale
Comments?
Are you a fan of bromeliad and/or carnivorous plants?
2023 Bromeliad and Carnivorous Plant Society Show & Sale Snapshot:
- Shepard Garden & Arts Center
- 3330 McKinley Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95816
- Saturday, June 17 (10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) & Sunday, June 18 (10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.)
- Free parking: SG&AC parking lot, street parking
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