CARNIVOROUS PLANTS, GROWN AT THE HOME OF THE BEDFORD DOCTOR.
♪ >> DR. GEORGE NEWMAN GROWS SO MANY PLANTS, IT’S HARD TO KEEP TRACK OF THE EXACT NUMBER.
>> I PROBABLY HAVE BETWEEN 800 AND 1000 SPECIES.
I PROBABLY HAVE AT LEAST 10,000 PLANTS.
>> MOST ARE CARNIVOROUS PLANTS, ONE OF THE LARGEST COLLECTIONS IN NEW ENGLAND.
>> I LIKE TO WATCH THEM TRAP.
I LIKE TO LOOK INSIDE AND SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING.
AND THEY ARE VERY BEAUTIFUL PLANTS.
>> THEY ARE SCATTERED ACROSS HIS THREE ACRE PROPERTY IN BEDFORD.
THEY COME FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.
>> THESE COME FROM VENEZUELA.
>> THESE ARE CALLED PITCHER PLANTS.
THEIR LEAVES ARE SHAPED LIKE WATER PITCHERS.
>> THIS ONE IS VERY RARE.
THE INSECTS ARE ATTRACTED TO THE VEINS.
THERE IS ALSO SOME NECTAR.
IT GETS SLIPPERY AND THEY FALL IN.
THE FALL DOWN AND THERE IS WATER IN THE BOTTOM OF THE PICTURE, AND THEY DROWNED.
>> SOME OF HIS VENUS FLY TRAPS ARE 55 YEARS OLD.
>> THE VENUS FLY TRAP IS A RARE PLANT.
IT IS ONLY FOUND AROUND WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA AND IS VERY RARE IN NATURE.
THEY HAVE BECOME VERY RARE IN THE WILD.
>> GEORGE GOT HOOKED ON PLANTS AS A YOUNG KID GROWING UP IN NEW YORK CITY, WHERE H DAD REGULARLY TOOK HIM TO THE BOTANICAL GARDENS.
>> WHEN I WAS 12 OR 13, I GOT INTERESTED IN THE INSECT EATIN PLANTS.
SINCE THEN, HAVE BEEN GROWING THEM.
HE WENT ON TO BECOME A PATHOLOGIST AND KEPT PLANTS AS A HOBBY.
HE SPENDS 2-4 HOURS A DAY MAINTAINING HIS COLLECTION.
WHAT DOES YOUR WIFE THINK ABO ALL THESE PLANTS?
>> SHE IS TOLERANT.
SHE LIKES GOING IN THE OUTDOORS, SHE LIK HIKING, AND SHE LIKES TO LOOK AT THEM.
SHE NEVER DOES ANY OF THE ACTUAL WORK.
>> AT 78 YEARS OH, GEORGE, WHO ALSO HAS A SIZABLE ORCHID COLLECTION, PLANS TO DOWNSIZE.
AND HE MAY JUST FIND A GOOD SIZE FOR -- A GOOD HOME FOR HIS ORCHIDS AT DARTMOUTH COLLEGE.
KIM DOLONC RUNS THE LIFE SCIENCES GREENHOUSE AT DARTMOUTH . IT HOUSES THE LARGEST ORCHID COLLECTION IN NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND.
>> 1000 ORCHIDS IS A LOT OF ORCHIDS.
>> ALLEN DONATED THE ORCHID CONNECTION MORE THAN 40 YEARS AGO AND IS STILL INVOLVED.
ORCHIDS, LIKE ROSES, SYMBOLIZE LOVE AND ROMANCE.
>> PEOPLE THINK THEY ARE REALLY SEXY.
THEY JUST ARE SO BEAUTIFUL, SO UNUSUAL.
>> ORCHIDS FILL TWO BIG ROOMS IN THE GREENHOUSE.
COOL ORCHIDS TYPICALLY GROW IN THE MOUNTAINS OF SOUTH AMERICA, AT ELEVATIONS OF UP TO 10,000 FEET.
>> THEY ARE ALWAYS IN CLOUD FOREST, HIGH HUMIDITY, LOWLIGHT, AND COOLER TEMPERATURES.
>> WARM ORCHIDS ARE FROM THE TROPICS.
NOTICE SOME PLANTS ARE FLOWERING, OTHERS ARE NOT.
>> THERE IS NO SPECIFIC SEASON FOR FLOWERS, SINCE A LOT OF THEM ARE TROPICAL.
WE HAVE DIFFERENT ONES BLOOMING YEAR-ROUND.
>> AND NO TWO ARE ALIKE, YET THEY DO HAVE SIMILAR TRAITS.
ALL ORCHIDS HAVE THREE LEAVES AND THRE SEPALS.
>> THAT THE ROUND PART, AND THE THREE PETALS.
>> THE BOTTOM PETAL IS A MODIFIED LANDING PAD FOR INSECTS.
IT’S WHERE THEY PICK UP THE POLLEN.
>> WHAT HAPPENS IS, THE INSECT GOES IN AND IT JUST POPPED OUT.
THIS IS ACTUALLY THE POLLEN PACKET.
IT IS STUCK TO MY FINGER RIGHT NOW, AND THAT IS THE POLLEN.
IT WILL JUST RELEASE AT THE NEXT FLOWER THAT IT GOES TO.
>> WE DON’T JUST ENJOY ORCHIDS FOR THEIR BEAUTY.
>> THERE IS ONLY ONE ORCHID THAT WE EAT ALL AROUND THE WORLD.
IT IS VANILLA.
WHEN THEY OPEN THE SEED POD AND SCRAPE OUT THE INSIDE, THAT IS THE VANILLA.
>> WHEN IT IS IN BLOOM, THE FLOWER IS A WASHED OUT YELLOW.
KIM SAYS IT’S NOT VERY SHOWY, BUT IT SMELLS GREAT.
UNLIKE THE MOST INFAMOUS PLANT IN THE GREENHOUSE, THE CORPSE FLOWER, BETTER KNOWN AS THE STINKY FLOWER.
>> IT IS REALLY BAD.
IT PERMEATES THE WHOLE BUILDING HERE, AND IT’S A FOUR STORY BUILDING.
IT KIND OF SHIFTS, SO AT TIMES IT SMELLS LIKE A DEAD RAT IN THE WALL.
>> CORPSE FLOWERS BLOOM EVERY 5-7 YEARS.
BUT MORPH BLOOMED TWICE IN TWO YEARS.
FALL OF 2016 AND AGAIN LAST NOVEMBER.
>> WE FOUND THAT AS THE CORPSE PLANT GETS A LITTLE OLDER, IT WILL BLOOM MORE OFTEN.
>> MORPHY ATTRACTS THE MOST VISITORS, IN THE THOUSANDS WHEN IT IS IN BLOOM.
DESPITE THE PERIODIC STENCH, KIM BECAUSE THE GREENHOUSE A WONDERFUL PLACE TO WORK.
>> YOU KNOW, THE PLANTS DON’T TALK BACK, SO IT’S A GOOD THING.
WE LIKE IT.
[LAUGHTER]