Pitcher plants are exotic plants that have become an integral part of many ornamental plant collections. They fascinate with their extraordinary way of life. Special care is important for he althy growth. The location conditions also play a crucial role.
What should you consider when caring for pitcher plants?
Pitcher plants are carnivorous plants that attract and digest insects through colorful pitchers. Care requires high humidity, special substrate, rainwater and sufficient light. Highland and lowland species have different temperature requirements. Propagation is possible successfully via cuttings.
Origin
The genus of pitcher plants (Nepenthes) contains 92 species that only occur in a few very limited mountain areas worldwide. Their main distribution area extends across the tropical climate zones. Here the plants climb to altitudes of over 3,500 meters.
There are highland species that are exposed to temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius during the day and thrive at 15 degrees Celsius at night. Lowland species can cope with constant temperatures between 25 and 35 degrees Celsius all year round.
Pitcher plants have been cultivated since the 19th century. There are now more than 200 hybrids that are more robust and easier to care for than the wild forms. These ornamental forms arose from crosses between species found in the central highlands. These representatives include Nepenthes veitchii, Nepenthes ventricosa or Nepenthes fusca.
Bloom
Pitcher plants grow dioecious. There are male and female specimens. The flowers sit tightly together in panicles or racemes. They protrude far above the plant with their 15 to 100 centimeter long flower stalks. Each flower consists of four, rarely three petals.
Male and female flowers appear between March and September. They differ in their smell. The male flowers secrete an aroma that smells like excrement, which is said to attract insects as potential pollinators. Female flowers are odorless. Pitcher plants bloom extremely rarely when grown indoors.read more
leaves
These carnivorous plants develop special leaves that are shaped like pitchers. A leaf is made up of three components. A leaf-shaped part has emerged from the actual leaf base, which has a leathery, coarse appearance and is lanceolate to oblong or ovoid in shape.
The base of the leaf is crossed by a raised midrib that extends beyond this leaf structure and ends in the base of the pitcher. According to theories, this leaf shape emerged from the petiole. In older specimens, this midrib takes on the function of a tendril. With their help, the plants climb up the surrounding vegetation. In young plants, these leaf shapes do not have a climbing function. The actual leaf blade is transformed into a can that serves as an insect trap. They are covered by a lid.
Growth
Pitcher plants are carnivorous plants. They do not actively catch their prey. Their traps are brightly colored at the opening and equipped with nectaries so that the insects are attracted by scents and colors. A toothed edge of the jug shows the insects the way into the jug, from which it is difficult to get out again. The inside of the jug is covered with a layer of wax, which the insects cannot grab hold of. The traps taper from the belly to the opening so that the prey cannot escape easily.
The lid is immovable and serves as protection against rainwater and the prey being washed out by water flowing into it. The pitchers contain a digestive fluid that is highly acidic. Your pH value is three. Numerous enzymes ensure that the prey is completely decomposed within two days. A pitcher trap has a lifespan of three months before slowly dying.
Almost all pitcher plant species develop two different types of traps. While the young plants form rounded ground cans that are arranged in a rosette, adult plants have air or hanging cans. The latter are lighter colored than the ground pitchers and appear elongated. In floor pitchers, the leaf stalk, which does not yet have a climbing function, is aligned towards the front of the pitcher. This type of trap has a clear wing strip on the front, which is missing from the air cans. In this form the stem is directed backwards and is used for climbing.
Edible
Pitcher plants are not poisonous. Two types are used to prepare snacks in Malaysia. People use the traps of Nepenthes ampullaria and Nepenthes mirabilis, which are consumed stuffed with rice. In traditional medicine, the plants have long been used to cure various diseases. The plant sap has positive effects on bladder problems, coughs or eye diseases and skin inflammations. The digestive juice of the traps is used to prepare refreshing drinks.
offshoot
The carnivorous plants can be successfully propagated via offshoots. Cut a cutting between ten and 15 centimeters long from the trunk between two leaves. The mother plant then appears headless. It will develop new shoots within the next few days. Place the cuttings in a moist and nutrient-poor substrate. Place a plastic bag over the planter to keep the humidity constant. To prevent mold from forming, you should remove the bag for a short period of time every day.
It takes a few weeks for the first roots to develop. You can then repot the cutting into a larger container. Use a substrate specifically designed for carnivorous plants. Root formation can be accelerated if you first place the cuttings in a container filled with decalcified water and then place them in orchid soil.
You should pay attention to this when cutting cuttings:
- Mother plant should be well developed
- cut during the growth phase in summer
- use a sharp knife
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Which location is suitable?
These plants have special requirements for the location, with highland species being adapted differently than lowland species. The latter thrive when the humidity is at least 60 percent. Highland species require an air humidity of 90 percent. Depending on the species, pitcher plants need temperatures between 20 and 30 degrees Celsius all year round. Highland species rely on temperature fluctuations. They thrive in daytime temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius and night temperatures of 15 degrees Celsius. A sunny spot promotes the growth of all representatives within this genus.
What soil does the plant need?
Carnivores need a special substrate that is adapted to the needs of carnivorous plants. They prefer nutrient-poor soil because they absorb enough nutrients from their prey. You can improve the permeability of the substrate with expanded clay, perlite or coconut fiber.
This substrate is suitable for pitcher plants:
- Mixture of sand and peat
- Mixture of white peat with ten percent each of quartz sand and perlite
- Orchid soil
- peat moss
- coarse peat with charcoal and pieces of bark
In the greenhouse
Cultivation in a greenhouse is recommended for pitcher plants as they do not grow well under indoor conditions. A greenhouse ensures consistently high humidity. It buffers temperature fluctuations better. Make sure to ventilate the greenhouse regularly. This will prevent mold from forming.
Pitcher plant in a pot
Pitcher plants are suitable for cultivation in hanging baskets. Here you have to pay attention to regular spraying, because the humidity in the room is not sufficient for he althy growth. Moisten the entire plant with rainwater several times a day and submerge the planter in water every three to four days. Make sure you have a bright location.
Balcony
The carnivores can be placed on the balcony in summer. Depending on whether you have a highland or lowland species, you need to pay attention to the outside temperatures between day and night. In southern regions, the lowland species can also be left outside at night. If temperatures drop significantly at night, you should bring these plants indoors in the evening. Highland species are grateful for the temperature fluctuations.
Propagate pitcher plant
The carnivorous plants can be propagated from seeds. Since the plants bloom extremely rarely when grown indoors, the plants do not produce seeds reliably. You can get these from specialist retailers. Make sure the seeds are fresh. Germination does not last long. Therefore, they must be scattered onto moist substrate within a short time after being collected from the fruit heads. Propagation via cuttings is more successful and easier.read more
Sowing
Place a substrate mixture of peat, peat moss, cellulose and cocohum into a cultivation container. Scatter the seeds as thinly as possible on the soil and make sure that they are not covered by the substrate. The light germinators require high humidity. Cover the growing pot with transparent film. Remove the foil every day to prevent the seeds from starting to mold. The vessels must be in a bright and warm place. It takes several months for the seeds to germinate.
Cut the pitcher plant correctly
The carnivores tolerate cutting well. They form new shoots within a short time after a cut. If the plants develop shoots that are too long and thin, cutting measures make sense. A vigorous pruning ensures that the plant branches at the interface and grows compactly. You can regularly remove completely dry leaves and shoots. As soon as a pot has died, it is removed at its base. The leaf base should be left on the plant if it is still green.read more
Watering pitcher plant
As swamp plants, the plants require a constantly moist substrate. Make sure you water regularly, more heavily in summer than in winter. Use rainwater. Tap water should be boiled and poured over a saucer. Prevent waterlogging so that the sensitive roots do not rot. If you water too little, the pitchers will wilt.read more
Fertilize pitcher plants properly
The carnivorous plants do not need to be fertilized. They get their nutrients from the prey they catch with their pitchers. Even if the prey catch is low, the vitality of the plants is not affected. They feed on residual nutrients from the substrate or the leaves.
Wintering
The species enter a dormant state in winter, during which growth stops. However, the temperatures do not differ between summer and winter. Upland species require a temperature variation between day and night even in winter, while lowland species and hybrids need constant conditions. In winter you can reduce the amount of water. Make sure that the substrate does not dry out. The lack of brightness is the biggest problem in winter. Give your pitcher plant an additional source of light in the winter.read more
Repotting
Pitcher plants should be repotted as soon as their roots have completely grown through the substrate. There are fast-growing species that should be transplanted annually. Slow-growing species require a larger planter approximately every two to three years.
Repot the plant in summer when the growth phase is underway. At this time the plant is strong enough to adapt to the new substrate without any problems. Choose a planter that is ten to 15 centimeters larger in diameter than the old pot.read more
Dried up
Pitcher plants shed their used traps after several months. Under good care and location conditions, it can take up to a year for a trap to dry out. You can cut off the dried parts of the plant or leave them on the plant until they fall off on their own.
If the cans dry out before opening or no cans are formed, the site conditions are not optimal. This phenomenon indicates that the humidity is too low or the location is too dark. Place a large, transparent glass over the plant so that the humidity remains at a consistently high level. Place the plant in a bright place.
Diseases
Nepenthes species are resistant to disease. Care errors or incorrect location conditions lead to stress and disturbances that affect growth. Root rot and mold formation are the most common symptoms caused by waterlogging. It is important to act quickly so that the plant does not suffer major damage. Remove infected plant parts and damaged roots before planting the plant in fresh substrate.
Tip
By nature, the jugs are one third filled with liquid. The plants are often sold in specialist retailers or online shops without digestive fluid. Immediately fill the jugs at home with decalcified water or rainwater. The plants then release enzymes into the water through glands in the lower pitcher area, so that a new digestive fluid is produced.
Pests
Pitcher plants can be attacked by aphids. Isolate the plant to prevent pests from spreading. A commercially available remedy against aphids (€9.00 on Amazon) provides a quick remedy. Alternatively, you can release beneficial insects on the plant. Thrips infestations can be combated in a similar way. These pests cause silvery, iridescent spots on the top of the leaves. Underneath they leave their droppings, which appear in the form of dark, pinhead-sized dots. It can be easily wiped away with your finger.
Varieties
- Nepenthes ampullaria: Small, spherical pitchers with a diameter of seven centimeters. Climbs up to ten meters. Suitable for tall terrariums.
- Nepenthes mirabilis: Subshrub whose trunk becomes woody over time. Floor cans up to five centimeters long, hanging cans up to 16 centimeters tall.
- Nepenthes macfarlanei: For shady locations.
- Nepenthes aristolochioides: Pitchers yellowish-green with red spots. Reminiscent of morning glory flowers.
- Nepenthes alata x ventricosa: Hybrid of highland species. Develops 15 centimeter pitchers. Suitable for beginners. Can cope with low humidity.
- Nepenthes inermis x ventricosa: Hybrid of highland species. Funnel-shaped jugs up to 15 centimeters long.
