Adrian Slack (1933 – 3 June 2018) was a landscape gardener, plantsman, author and authority on

carnivorous plant Carnivorous plants are plants that derive some or most of their nutrients from trapping and consuming animals or protozoans Protozoa (singular: protozoan or protozoon; alternative plural: protozoans) are a group of single-celled eukaryot ...

s. He won 5 gold medals at the

Chelsea Flower Show The RHS Chelsea Flower Show, formally known as the ''Great Spring Show'',Phil Clayton, ''The Great Temple Show'' in ''The Garden'' 2008, p.452, The Royal Horticultural Society is a garden show held for five days in May by the Royal Horticultural ...

, and authored two books: ''Carnivorous Plants'' (1979, 2005) and ''Insect-Eating Plants and How to Grow Them'' (1986, 2006). Drosera slackii Darwiniana

Both of Adrian Slack's books are considered to have excellent cultivation information and are highly regarded in the carnivorous plant community. After a long time out of print, both of them have recently been reissued. Slack developed hundreds of

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture, ...

s and many have been named after him. The

sundew ''Drosera'', which is commonly known as the sundews, is one of the largest genera of carnivorous plants, with at least 194 species. 2 volumes. These members of the family Droseraceae lure, capture, and digest insects using stalked mucilaginous ...

species '' Drosera slackii'' he cultivated was named in his honour. Slack founded and ran Marston Exotics carnivorous plant nursery in England before suffering a stroke in 1986 that caused his early retirement. Slack was featured on a 1981 episode of '' Nature Watch'' and in an accompanying book published the same year.Pettifer, J. & R. Brown 1981
Adrian Slack: Playing God with the Plants of Prey
In: ''Nature Watch''. Michael Joseph, London. pp. 59–73. .

References

* Cantley, R., M. Cheek, P.F. Gardner, P. Mann, B. Meyers-Rice, N. Parker & P. Temple 2000. ''

Carnivorous Plant Newsletter The ''Carnivorous Plant Newsletter'' is the official publication of the International Carnivorous Plant Society (ICPS), the largest such organization in the world. It is headquartered in Walnut Creek, California. History and editorship The newsle ...

'' 29(4): 109–116. * D'Amato, P. 2000
Savage Garden: Slack-potting the dewy pine
''

'' 29(4): 101–102. * Marthaler, O. 1996. ''

'' 25(3): 94–95. * Parker, N. 1996. Carnivorous plants at Millfield School. ''

The Carnivorous Plant Society Journal ''Planta Carnivora'' is a biannual periodical and the official publication of The Carnivorous Plant Society of the United Kingdom.Rice, B. 2010Carnivorous Plant Society Archives The Carnivorous Plant FAQ. rchived page from October 10, 2010/ref>< ...

'' 19: 38–41. {{DEFAULTSORT:Slack, Adrian 2018 deaths British botanists 1933 births