Nepenthes (Tropical Pitcher Plants)
About Nepenthes
Nepenthes, also referred to as pitcher plants, or even monkey cups, are the carnivorous plants that Carnivero is best known for. From insects to feces to even live reptiles and mammals, these mere plants have been known to devour almost anything Mother Nature has thrown their way.
Distinguished by their prominent, colorful vessels, Nepenthes are as beautiful as they are deadly—as stunning as they are predatory.
When Botanist Carl Linneaus first looked upon these specimens, he was instantly overcome with awe and joy. As a result, he named the genus Nepenthes after the “drug of forgetfulness” that Helen of Troy serves in Homer’s Odyssey:
“If this is not Helen’s Nepenthes,” he wrote, “It will certainly be for all botanists. What botanist would not be filled with admiration if…he should find this wonderful plant.”*
Even before its discovery by Europeans, this plant was—and continues to be—used by indigenous people for medicine, craft and building materials, and as a vessel for food.**
Nepenthes pitchers can be dark purple, mauve, magenta, crimson, scarlet, yellow, deep orange, bright green…They can be solid, striped, speckled, or ombre…Their shapes can be either long or short, squat or skinny, a few inches tall or a towering 12 inches long (or more!).
Whichever Nepenthes you choose to grow, it is guaranteed to become a fast favorite in your collection.
Continue reading to view our care guide, or dive deeper into the world of Nepenthes by exploring our Nepenthes library:
Dive Deeper into the World of Nepenthes
Nepenthes Care Guide:
How do you care for pitcher plants?
Tropical pitcher plants, or Nepenthes, are surprisingly easy to care for. By ensuring proper light, humidity, temperature, watering, and soil, these carnivorous plants can thrive as houseplants or outdoor patio plants in some places.
What kind of Nepenthes pitcher plants are there?
Nepenthes pitcher plants can be categorized into highland, intermediate, and lowland varieties. These categories correspond to the different altitudes where the carnivorous plants are found, which are typically mountainous, tropical regions. Each environment has its own unique growing requirements that we, as growers, try to recreate so that the Nepenthes can grow as well as possible. We will explain those requirements themselves later in this guide.
Top, from Left to Right: Nepenthes raffelsiana (JB x ‘Thick Lip’) in lowland conditions, Nepenthes veitchii ‘Cobra’ in intermediate conditions
Bottom, from Left to Right: Nepenthes rajah x robcantleyi in highland conditions, Nepenthes naga in ultra-highland conditions
Pitcher Plant Light Requirements
Nepenthes pitcher plants need a photoperiod of 12-14 hours with bright, indirect light. Ideal locations include sunny windowsills or under grow lights.
Above: A Nepenthes Diana thrives beneath Florawave grow lights on our office shelf.
What is a photoperiod?
A photoperiod is the duration of time that a plant or animal is exposed to light within a 24-hour period.
Pitcher Plant Temperature
Generally, daytime temperatures of 70-90°F and nighttime temperatures of 50-70°F are safe for Nepenthes. Temperature needs vary by species/hybrid:
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Highland Nepenthes:
Day temperatures in the 70s with a drop to the 50s at night. -
Intermediate Nepenthes:
Day temperatures of 75-85°F, dropping to the 60s at night. -
Lowland Nepenthes:
Temperatures between 70-90°F with very high humidity.
For more information, check out our video, in which we explain Nepenthes growing conditions further.
Above: This is the air conditioning unit in our office. Notice the temperature is set to 72°F and the Nepenthes above are growing strong!
Pitcher Plant Humidity
While high humidity is ideal, most Nepenthes can adapt to household conditions if done slowly over the course of a few weeks. For perspective, most homes in the U.S. are between 30% and 60% humidity. You can measure the humidity in your home using a hygrometer.
Higher humidity, however, promotes better growth. Many Nepenthes are accustomed to growing in 70%-100% humidity. You can also use a humidifier to increase the humidity in smaller portions of your home.
For most intermediate Nepenthes, ambient room humidity suffices, especially after bag acclimation. Check our bag acclimation guide for details.
Top: a Nepenthes peltata is growing in its preferred highland conditions
Bottom, From Left to Right: the same N. peltata undergoing the process of bag acclimation in a sunny windowsill, and then fully acclimated to ambient conditions outside of the bag
How to Water Pitcher Plants
Nepenthes require pure water. Distilled, rain, or reverse osmosis water is ideal for all carnivores. We recommend top watering Nepenthes. Important: Avoid over-watering Nepenthes during bag acclimation to prevent rot.
What is top watering?
Top watering involves pouring water directly onto the soil surface around the base of the plant, allowing it to seep down to the roots. It's important to fully saturate the soil until water drains from the bottom of the pot. This can be repeated a few times until your soil is fully saturated.
Above: This pitcher plant in our storefront is being top watered with reverse osmosis water that comes directly from our hoses. Ensure that when you water your plants, whether it be from a hose, watering can, or container of water that you are using only RO, rainwater, or distilled water.
Can I bottom water pitcher plants?
Though not recommended, Nepenthes can be bottom watered by placing the plant pot in a tray or saucer filled with water. Dump any water that remains in the tray after an hour. They like to stay slightly moist but not wet.
Pitcher Plant Soil
Nepenthes potting mix should retain good moisture, while still allowing ample drainage. Our recommendation is to allow the substrate to slightly dry between waterings. We use a mix of 1:2:1 sphagnum moss, perlite, and coco chip. Make sure that all ingredients lack added fertilizers or nutrients, and that coco chips are leached below 40 ppm. See our soil mixing guide for more information.
Above, from Left to Right: Our Nepenthes mix is made of leached coco coir chip, perlite, and sphagnum peat moss. We offer it by the quart and by the gallon.
When to Repot Pitcher Plants
Nepenthes generally dislike repotting and can thrive in the same pot for several years. However, consider repotting if the plant becomes unstable, roots protrude from the bottom, soil dries out too quickly after watering, or the media deteriorates into a mushy texture.
To read more about repotting a Nepenthes, please view our detailed step-by-step informational guide here.
How to Feed a Pitcher Plant
Nepenthes plants require occasional feeding to sustain growth. You can feed them as often as biweekly with cricket powder, bugs (live or dead), or fish food. Alternatively, foliar feeding with Maxsea at 300 ppm once a month is effective. Another option is placing one pellet of osmocote in the pitchers monthly.
Above: This Nepenthes is being fed a dried mealworm. We do offer small bags of these dried mealworms, as well as osmocote, in our “Plant Snacks” bundle, if you need a place to start!
What is foliar feeding?
Foliar feeding is a method of applying fertilizer by mixing water-soluble fertilizer with water before spraying the plants' leaves with the solution. Be sure to limit the amount of fertilizer that reaches the roots of carnivores. Not recommended for beginners.
Do pitcher plants go dormant?
Nepenthes do not experience dormancy.
Can pitcher plants be grown outside?
In the right conditions, Nepenthes can be grown outside, but it’s important to be mindful of the weather in your area.
Pitcher plants are native to the tropics, so they need year-round moderate temperatures and high humidity to thrive.
If you live in an area with high humidity and temperatures consistently between the sixties and eighties (or slightly beyond, depending on the species), a Nepenthes could be grown outdoors, with a little help.
For example, since the leaves tend to scorch in full sun, setting your plants on a porch or in a location with gentler morning sun could be effective.
Your plant would also need to be watered often—more often than your houseplants, most likely—since soil naturally dries more quickly outdoors.
If you live in an area with cold winters, volatile temperatures, or low humidity, growing a pitcher plant outdoors would not be recommended, as the environment is not supportive of healthy Nepenthes growth.
In short, growing Nepenthes outdoors in the U.S. is not impossible, but depends highly on the climate in your area.
If you’d like to grow your pitcher plants outdoors, and you would like guidance on how, or if, it can be done, please reach out! Together we can strategize the most optimal set-up for your plants, whether indoors or outdoors.
Pitcher Plant Roots
If your Nepenthes arrives with black roots, there is no cause for concern. Nepenthes roots tend to look different than typical roots. Black, stringy, fragile roots are completely normal and healthy for a pitcher plant.
These are the very healthy roots of a small Nepenthes.
Why do pitcher plants eat insects?
Nepenthes come from nutrient-poor soils. Their carnivorous nature is an evolutionary strategy to compensate for the lack of nutrients in their environment. The insects and leaf litter captured in their pitchers act as fertilizer for the plant.
Pitcher Plant Pitchers Turning Black or Brown
Producing and maintaining pitchers consumes significant energy, so once they fulfill their role, the plant will naturally shed them. Pitchers may also die off during periods of stress, such as during transit or bag acclimation, which is normal and not a cause for concern.
Pitchers die off at any and all sizes! This is a prime example of what a dead pitcher on a healthy plant looks like.
Should I leave the black pitchers on the pitcher plant?
If the pitcher is entirely brown or black, it can be trimmed off. If there is still some color to the pitcher, it may be left on as it continues to benefit the plant.
Any dead pitchers can be snipped off with trimming scissors.
Pitcher Plant Leaves Turning Yellow
Nepenthes are really good at recycling their nutrients. Older leaves (the ones towards the bottom) turning yellow is no cause for concern, so long as the yellowing starts on the outside of the leaf, and not at the stem. It is a natural part of their life cycle.
An example of a Nepenthes letting go of some older leaves.
Pitcher Plant Not Growing Pitchers
A pitcher plant not producing pitchers is often due to insufficient light, although low humidity can also play a role. Consider a foliar feed to encourage pitcher growth, and once they develop, continue with pitcher feeding.
Signs of Pests on a Nepenthes
Common culprits to look out for on a Nepenthes are mites, mealy bugs, and thrips. While troubleshooting and treatment for pests in Nepenthes can be a completely separate care guide, a few things to look out for are discoloration across the entire leaf or in spots, rough or crinkly texture or physical damage to leaves or pitchers. These photos show an example of what a Nepenthes recovering from mites looks like:
What is a good beginner pitcher plant?
There are several pitcher plants that can thrive in the hands of beginners, including Nepenthes ‘Bill Bailey’ and Nepenthes ‘Briggsiana’ (ventricosa x lowii). Our selection of beginner pitcher plants will acclimate to ambient conditions with little to no trouble, and with proper care, can serve as a beautiful houseplant.
See our selection of beginner plants perfect for any new grower.
Top, from Left to Right: Nepenthes ‘Briggsiana’, Full-sized N. ‘Briggsiana’ pitcher
Middle: Nepenthes ‘Diana’, Nepenthes ‘Bill Bailey’
Bottom, from Left to Right: Nepenthes ‘Gaya’, Full-sized N. ‘Gaya’ pitchers
Still have questions? Send us a message!
This guide aims to cover basic Nepenthes care and the most frequently asked questions we receive from growers, but if you have any questions that we did not address, please email us at service@carnivero.com
We are always happy to read through questions, assess plant photos, and problem-solve with our customers.
Nepenthes Care Videos by Topic:
Video: Nepenthes Conditions Explained.
Video: Growing Nepenthes in a Cabinet
Video: Bag Acclimation / Growing Indoors
Video: Growing Nepenthes Outdoors
Video: Four Nepenthes Behaviors That Look Scary (But Are Actually Normal)
Video: Proper Lighting For Your Nepenthes (A Leading Culprit Behind Slow Pitcher Growth!)
Video: How to Repot Your Nepenthes
Video: How to Stake Your Nepenthes
Shopping:
Shopping: Beginner Plants Catalog
Shopping: Nepenthes
*D’amato, P (2013). The Savage Garden (Revised): Ten Speed Press
**Batoro, J., et. al. (2015 December) Ethnobotany of Nepenthes spp. in Dayak Seberuang People, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. Inns Pub. https://innspub.net/ethnobotany-of-nepenthes-spp-in-dayak-seberuang-people-west-kalimantan-indonesia/