HOMEBOUND Real-life characters in our hometowns

Carolyn Haines takes us for a walk on the wild side of Mobile County with The Bog Father - Stephen Randy Davis

“…The fact that the plants seem to know exactly what they’re doing and how to catch their prey so efficiently just baffles me. To watch the tendril slowly creep down until it reaches the ground and then inflates a beautiful pitcher that rivals many of the world’s most beautiful flowers… that is what I find so fascinating.”

Stephen R. Davis, owner of Bog Father Plants, denies that any of his “children” are named Aubrey II. But it might not be wise to completely believe the disclaimers of such an articulate owner of a carnivorous plant company. All of his plants are flesh eating. And they are ready for Halloween! (Ignore the fact that they eat mostly insects. Think of the possibility if they could eat, say, a body!)

The local Mobile County businessman, assisted with the plant and critter care by Kyle Colson, has curated one of the largest collections of carnivorous plants in the region, and his affection for the beautiful—and deadly—flora is clear. Many of the plants are worth hundreds of dollars, some so rare that he has a waiting list of those who want cuttings, buds, or tendrils.

A visit to the garden is the perfect prelude to Halloween and the creation of talks and tales from the dark side of…gardening.

In LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, the protagonist Seymore finds an unusual plant in his garden. He names the Plant Audrey II, a tribute to the human Audrey he has a crush on. But Audrey II is an alien with plans for world domination. Audrey II has many talents, among them gobbling down Seymore’s enemies. Until, of course, Aubrey II gets big and strong enough to want to gobble Seymore!

Randy, as his family and friends call Stephen R., is not worried a bit about an Aubrey II takeover. Many of the plants in his excellent care are local to the region, but he also has a number of exotic plants from around the globe. None from outer space, as of yet. So far, none of his friends, family—or enemies—have disappeared in the humidified, climate controlled “grow” room where most of the plants reside.

Randy has self-labeled as a so-called “plant freak.”

“Many years ago when I came in contact with my first Nepenthes, the Asian pitcher plants sometimes called “monkey cups”, I quickly became totally enamored at their bizarre morphology and the rarity of some of the most desired species in the Nepenthes trade.”

Randy has some 200 Nepenthes consisting of mostly species, some natural hybrids and a few non-naturally occurring man-made hybrids! (If the horror references must continue, can I use Dr. Frankenstein? Is Randy playing evil doctor to create a man-eater?)

Naw. He cares too much about his insect-eating babies. “Each and every one of my Nepenthes plants are extremely special to me. I spend hours cutting and watering and fertilizing in the grow room each day. They can be quite needy with their environmental requirements, and I love providing them with that so that I can watch them grow and thrive.”

Randy isn’t alone in his love of these beautiful and environmentally helpful plants. “I’m very excited to be a part of the Nepenthes community. Though a relatively small community, there are others out there like me all around the world with extensive, very rare collections. They propagate and trade with other members to grow and add to our collections. I mostly keep in contact with members via Instagram as many famous collectors are not in the United States. I sometimes get requests for seeds and pollen from outside the US.

“Alabama and many areas of the United States are home to several different species of carnivorous plants. Although I specialize in Nepenthes, I do grow the native Sarracenia pitcher plants and several species of native sundews.”

Like any good plant daddy, Randy loves his “children.”

“I find the pitchers to be absolutely stunning works of art and nature. The very slow growing nature of Nepenthes makes the wait even more worthwhile when you get to see mature, vining specimens in your collection that took many years to grow from seed or cuttings. The fact that the plants seem to know exactly what they’re doing and how to catch their prey so efficiently just baffles me. To watch the tendril slowly creep down until it reaches the ground and then inflates a beautiful pitcher that rivals many of the world’s most beautiful flowers… that is what I find so fascinating.”

While the plants are the focus of this article, there are many interesting creatures at Casa Randy.

“Yes! I do tend to like the more unusual plants and creatures. I have a few reptiles as well: a Savannah monitor, leopard geckos, a Russian tortoise, and a Chinese cave gecko.

“I’ve always been a bird person and so I have an aviary with an extensive collection of many exotic birds ranging from peacocks to the beautiful mandarin wood duck and pigeons of every color and pattern imaginable. My baby though is a large, white Chinese goose. Her name is Jennifer and she’s one of the sweetest birds I’ve ever had the pleasure of owning. I rescued her from a home where all of her mates were killed by dogs. She was the only survivor and now she lives a life of luxury in the aviary with her favorite pals. Jennifer can be a bit jealous, though, and will sometimes hiss at guests if they get between her and me.”

Jennifer and the other birds are easier to feed than the many plants Randy and Kyle tend every single day. The plant room has a lot of expensive equipment which keeps the climate regulated and the plants at the proper temperature. Randy only recently had to replace the whole humidifying and water system, which was a near crisis, since the plants are so sensitive they must have pure water.

Insects and other small creatures inevitably make their way into the grow room where most of the time they are devoured. “I sometimes feed insects to my plants but mostly I put fertilizer pellets or sometimes fish food in the pitchers. I also spray a weak foliar fertilizer on the leaves every couple of weeks to help with overall growth. Generally, it isn’t recommended to feed the plant via its roots as carnivorous plants are native to areas with relatively pure water and very little minerals or nutrients in their media and therefore their roots are not designed to absorb those nutrients. The plant does photosynthesize but mainly the plant feeds via its many pitchers.”

While Randy loves his plants, he also has a sense of humor. “I think many of my plants could take the lead role in a horror film! If I had to choose one, I’d say Nepenthes Lingulata would be my number one creepy plant. Mine are quite small still but more mature specimens produce long, dark pitchers with a hook at the bottom of the lid that secretes nectar over the rim of the pitcher. So beautiful but so deadly!”

As a self-labeled “plant freak”, Randy has interests outside the carnivores. “I do grow some plants other than carnivores. I’m quite fond of many of the more rare, large-leafed orchids like those in the genus Bulbophyllum. B. Beccarii has to be one of my favorite plants besides my Nepenthes. I usually sell one to two leaf cuttings at around $200 each.”

For Randy, the plants and creatures who share his home are a labor of love. They are rare and valuable, but more important is his connection to all the many beings he takes care of, regardless of monetary concerns.

After touring Randy’s terrific set up, I’m only a tiny bit disappointed that none of the plants are yet big enough to take care of the dead body in my trunk! I guess I’m on the lookout for a hog farm now.