Can someone who grows carnivorous plants ID this pitcher plant? I know that the genus is Nepenthes (at least I think that's right) but don't know the variety. Someone in our Mississippi State University Horticultural Club brought it to me to ID it, but I don't grow pitcher plants.

It is Nepenthes...My thought may be N. alata ?
Winged Pitcher Plant (Nepenthes alata)

Thanks, Tara. I told the student I thought it was one of three varities of Nepenthes, alata (first choice), ventrata, or sanguinea.

N.alata seems to be one of the most common sold around here. Very popular. You should give one a try! They work quite well at keeping the bug populations down!

for the 's

The Horticultural Club student gave me three cuttings, and I am going to try to root them. Before he came over, I had made up my mind to purchase 4-6 Drosera plants, perhaps the cape sundew.

I use those bright yellow sticky cards to capture flying insects in my greenhouses and thought having some carnivorous plants would be a nice, natural addition. I think I might have had a carnivorous plant way back in the mid to late 70's, but I really don't remember what sort of plant it was.

Yes its a n.alata

The pitcher is shorter than the hybrid ventrata. Its a very healthy plant you got there!

Even with a carnivorous plant in your greenhouse, i dont think you will notice a drop in the insects population, exept if your green house is VERY little. This little guy will catch only a few.

And welcome to carnivorous plant world

The pictures you see are that of the Horticultural Club student at Mississippi State University. I just have the three cuttings to try to root.

I would continue to use my bright yellow, sticky cards and these are very effective in capturing flying insects. I don't use pesticides in my two greenhouses. I just thought it would be interesting to grow some carnivores as well, since they prefer high humidity, warmth, and bright light. That's everything that my 100's or orchids love.

Tell me something. Do you use tap water or do you use rain/reverse osmosis/distilled water? Do you know whether tap water is a no-no for growing these plants? I am thinking of growing some Drosera as well as the three Nepenthes (if they root).

Ken

Ken, I try to use rain water for mine, but they have also received showers of tap water, and I've not noticed a problem as yet...But I do try to keep to the rain water. If I remember correctly, the person that I bought mine from also recommended the distilled. I'll be interested to hear @Maidens response to this...

Yes, likely what most folks are calling Nepenthes alata.

In the horticultural industry Nepenthes alata represents many hybrid plants which may have Nepenthes alata in their parentage.

The wild typical species Nepenthes alata is not often seen, out of it's natural habitat.

Metrosideros said:Yes, likely what most folks are calling Nepenthes alata.

In the horticultural industry Nepenthes alata represents many hybrid plants which may have Nepenthes alata in their parentage.

The wild typical species Nepenthes alata is not often seen, out of it's natural habitat.

Very interesting, Dave! I was unaware of this...Always learning new factoids here!

Thanks for that information, Dave Paul. I will give the horticultural student the information. He's going to think I'M SO SMART!

drdawg said:The pictures you see are that of the Horticultural Club student at Mississippi State University. I just have the three cuttings to try to root.

I would continue to use my bright yellow, sticky cards and these are very effective in capturing flying insects. I don't use pesticides in my two greenhouses. I just thought it would be interesting to grow some carnivores as well, since they prefer high humidity, warmth, and bright light. That's everything that my 100's or orchids love.

Tell me something. Do you use tap water or do you use rain/reverse osmosis/distilled water? Do you know whether tap water is a no-no for growing these plants? I am thinking of growing some Drosera as well as the three Nepenthes (if they root).

Ken

If your water is above 50PPM, you should use only rain or distilled(demineralized) water. High PPM water's minerals will slowly stuck on the roots, and the plant will not be able to suck water properly. The leaves will slowly turn yellow/brownish from bottom to the growing tip and your plant will dry up.

Also, like Metrosideros said, the 'true' alata is very rare in private collections.

For your cuttings, from my experience, the best way to roots em is with long fiber sphagnum moss+liquid rooting hormones :)
If your cutting is not fresh, or start to be brownish, i suggest to do a fresh new cut. This will help a lot !

Sorry for my bad english hehe

Good growing !

Thanks, Maiden. That is exactly the way I am rooting them.

Your English is just fine. Keep posting!

Hehe :)

I know that you are a very experienced grower, i just dont know why i tried to give you advices LOL

Very nice website you got there, by the way

I never will know enough that other's advice is not helpful. Just keep on advising!

Thank you for taking a look at my website. This is my "retirement" business, but it is and always will be a tiny business. It is a labor-of-love for me.

Eleven months later, I have one "Pitcher Plant" that rooted/survived. This Nepenthes alata is a cute little thing and four of its leaves are now growing these pitchers. The largest pitcher is only about an inch long and the four leaves have four stages of growth. Isn't that just neat! This plant has never had anything but tap water. It just got watered and fertilized when my orchids did. Now that it is growing up, I will be able to park it under an oak tree in the spring and it will then get some rainwater as well as tap.