About

An evergreen, carnivorous perennial, with strap-shaded leaves with a prolonged midrib, which acts as a tendril and may end in a hanging, hollow pitcher, with two vertical ridges or "wings" at the front. The pitchers are slender expanding into a bulbous lower third, closest to the tendril, with a thickened rim and an apical lid. Pitchers vary in colour even on the same plant, ranging from yellow-green, to red, speckled, orange, purple, and a variety of combinations and range in size from 18cm, for lower pitchers to 23cm for those higher up the plant. Tiny petalless male and female flowers, with green or brown sepals, are borne in spike-like racemes.

About the genus

Nepenthes or pitcher plants are a genus of evergreen, mostly epiphytic, insectivorous perennials. Their leaves are adapted to form pendulous, lidded, coloured pitchers that trap and digest insects

Growing conditions

SunlightPartial shade
Soil typeLoam
Soil pHAcid
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained
AspectEast-facing, North-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH1A

Plant details

Plant typeHouseplants, Conservatory Greenhouse, Herbaceous Perennial
HabitPendulous weeping
FoliageEvergreen
Height0.1-0.5 metres
Spread0.1-0.5 metres
Time to full height2-5 years
Suggested usesHouseplants, Sub-tropical

Care notes

CultivationGrow indoors in hanging baskets in a acidic, low nutrient specialist mix in bright filtered light with high humidity. See Carnivorous plant cultivation
PruningTrim out spent pitchers
PropagationPropagate from stem cuttings in February or sow seeds
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to mealybugs and aphids
Disease resistanceGenerally disease-free