These are the 3 kinds of tropical pitcher plants that I grow. I can name them no further than to say that they are all Nepenthes. Sometimes you can find something exciting in the Mean Place (Wally World) and that is where all 3 of mine came from. There are 3 things that you should know about growing tropical pitcher plants. They are:
1)water
2)water
3)water
Do not let them get dry or the cute little pitchers will be the first to turn brown, followed quickly by the whole plant. Do NOT fertilize. When watering, water not only the root mass (which is quite small and fragile), but also water the pitchers. They should always have a fair amount of water in them. Do not let any of this water get on you however, because it stinks to high heaven. I guess a watery mess of rotting insects could not smell sweet. These plants can trap plenty of insects in the greenhouse, and need no assistance in getting prey. This is the reason they do not require fertilizer. They digest insects and get what they need from the insect bodies. They are not fail proof on catching insects though. I have seen holes chewed through the pitcher walls where something escaped, probably a bumblebee from the size of the hole. These Nepenthes are not for the casual gardener, and certainly are not house plants. However they are beautiful in a sort of erotic way. If you like them, you should visit the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. They have a huge collection in the conservatory. And of course you won't want to miss the orchids there either.
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