Nepenthes - also known as tropical pitcher plants or monkey cups - have been inspiring awe in botanists since they were first discovered by Europeans in the 17th century. With their dazzling colours and elaborately decorative traps, the plants seem to flaunt their carnivory with pride.

Ranging in size from diminutive miniatures like Nepenthes ampullaria to gargantuan monstrosities like Nepenthes rajah, the genus includes the only carnivorous plants known to have caught and eaten whole rats.

As with all plants, the key to successfully growing Nepenthes in cultivation is the ability to replicate the conditions of their natural habitat. Most Nepenthes species are found in Southeast Asia, particularly Borneo, Sumatra, and the Philippines, and the genus ranges from highland montane plants to those inhabiting steamy lowland jungles.

Below, you’ll find an interactive altitude chart covering every species, a calculator for growers of hybrids, a visualization of the day & night temperatures of these habitats, and finally advice on watering, light, and soil. Good growing!

1. The Nepenthes Calculator
2. Nepenthes Species List
3. Nepenthes General Cultivation

3. Nepenthes Cultivation

Growing Locations

There are over 160 species of Nepenthes, plus countless natural and cultivated hybrids. Their habitats are hugely diverse, and some are far more adaptable growers than others. For this reason, it’s very difficult to offer generalised advice which is applicable to all tropical pitcher plants! The guidance below is a good starting point, but one that will need to be adapted to suit your chosen species.

When selecting a location for your Nepenthes, you must consider light, temperature, humidity, and space. Most tropical pitcher plants grow in the upper canopy of the rainforest and prefer very bright light, but without much direct sun. Diffused or partial sun is ideal, but high-powered fluorescent lights (such as T5 growlights) can also work well. Spindly leaves and a lack of colouration are signs of insufficient light. Nepenthes do not require a winter dormancy, but the shorter daylight hours will often slow them down over the colder season.

Temperatures should be within the ranges illustrated on the charts above. For most intermediate and highland species, 25°C during the day and 15°C at night is ideal. True lowland species require closer to 30°C days and 20°C nights, and can be killed by cold snaps. Humidity should be high at all times - a lack of developing pitchers is a sign of low humidity.

• Terrariums: Paired with T5 growlights, a large terrarium can be a great way to grow young plants. Remember that Nepenthes can get very large and will produce climbing vines - these will need to be pruned!
• Windowsills: Some easy-to-grow species (see below for suggestions) can adapt to the lower humidity of a bright windowsill, providing their other requirements are met. Daily misting can help to raise humidity.
• Greenhouses: A heated greenhouse is undoubtedly the best way to grow a wide variety of Nepenthes species on a large scale - you can read about my own greenhouse setup here. The resources recommended at the end of this guide provide more detail on advanced areas of cultivation.
• Grow Chambers: If you wish to grow highland and ultra-highland species but struggle to provide the necessary low temperatures, the chest freezer method can be a great way to grow younger plants.

Beginner-Friendly Species

The following species and hybrids are known to be vigorous growers, adaptable a wide range of conditions. For this reason, they are widely available and often recommended to beginners looking to buy their first Nepenthes.

• N. x ventrata: A hybrid between N. ventricosa and N. alata, this plant is often mislabeled as N. alata. It has pretty pitchers that are pink to orange in colour, and is the best tropical pitcher plant for beginners.
• N. sanguinea: Usually a dark burgundy but available in many forms, pitchers on this species can grow up to 30cm in length. A fast grower and - in my experience - as easy as N. x ventrata.
• N. maxima: Red patterning on a green background with a large, flamboyant red peristome (lip). Available in many forms, this is an attractive plant which is particularly adaptable to warmer conditions.
• N. x ‘Bloody Mary’: A popular cultivar for terrariums, this is a beautiful hybrid between N. ventricosa and N. ampullaria. It has small, tubby, scarlet pitchers on glossy green leaves, and can grow into a very bushy plant!
• N. ventricosa: A variable species which usually has narrow-waisted, pale green pitchers speckled with red streaks. A compact species ideal for windowsill growing.
• N. veitchii: A beautiful species and one of my favourites, N. veitchii has squat traps with wide peristomes and is covered in fuzzy brown hair. Particularly adaptable to lower humidity environments.

Soil Mixes

Nepenthes are very tolerant when it comes to soil. They enjoy a loose, low-nutrition growing medium which keeps their roots aerated and allows excess water to quickly drain away while still retaining some moisture.

Popular mixtures tend to include a combination of long-fibered sphagnum moss, orchid bark, tree fern fiber, coconut husk fiber, sand, perlite, and pumice rock in varying ratios. Many growers successfully grow their highlanders in pure long-fibered sphagnum moss. Exactly how coarse your soil should be is dependent on numerous other factors, including ambient humidity, frequency of watering, and the species and age of your plant.

As a general rule, however, a mixture of long-fibered sphagnum moss, perlite, and orchid bark works well. I recommend the UK-based Orchid Accessories as the best place to buy these ingredients, but you can sometimes find good moss available on Amazon.

Water

Water frequently, keeping the soil damp at all times and never letting it dry out. Unlike many other carnivores, Nepenthes are not bog plants and do not appreciate having waterlogged soil. As such, avoid standing them in water for extended periods, since this will cause root rot.

Nepenthes are far more tolerant of water impurities than other carnivorous plants. Whereas American pitcher plants (Sarracenia) will quickly deteriorate if given hard water from the tap, tropical pitcher plants do not seem to mind as much. Impurities can build up over time, however, and will often accelerate the breakdown of your soil mixture. For long-term healthy growth, stick to rainwater, distilled or deionised water, or water purified using a reverse-osmosis (RO) system.

Feeding

If you are growing your Nepenthes where they will not be able to catch their own food, dried insects can be dropped into the pitchers every few week weeks. These should be small enough to fit comfortably inside the pitcher. Do not overfeed, or your plant’s pitchers may turn black and rot.

My recommended foods for Venus flytraps will all work, but dried crickets are particularly suitable for Nepenthes. For experienced growers with larger collections, I would also recommend Osmocote Flower and Vegetable pellets - I tried these following recommendations from Peter D’Amato and Natch Greyes, and the results have been excellent.

Unlike many other carnivores, Nepenthes can also benefit from foliar fertilisation. During the spring & summer, spraying your plant with a weak solution of high-quality orchid fertiliser several times a month can help promote good growth. However, you should remember that no fertiliser is better than too much, and look to take care of all your plant’s other needs (lighting, temperature, humidity, and so on) before thinking about feeding & fertilisation.

Further Reading & Links

If you’re interested in Nepenthes hybridisation, flowers & pollination, propagation methods, or other advanced areas of cultivation, I’ve listed some recommended resources and expert blogs below. This list is obviously not comprehensive!

• The Savage Garden, by Peter D’Amato. In my opinion, this is the best introduction to carnivorous plants you can buy. Its chapters on Nepenthes are detailed and accessible and include some brilliant photography. Available on Amazon.
• Pitcher Plants of the Old World. This two-volume monograph by Stewart McPherson is essential reading for anyone with a serious interest in the genus. His beautiful hardbacks include photography and detailed descriptions of all known species. The two volumes were supplemented in 2011 by a follow-up book exploring new discoveries (Volume 1, Volume 2, New Nepenthes).
• Predatory Plants. The team at Predatory Plants have a great YouTube channel with loads of tutorials and species highlights. Look out for their Nepenthes cutting and seed guides. Incidentally I’ve interviewed Josh about the nursery’s breeding program - check it out here.
• Say Nepenthes. Struggling to pronounce Nepenthes aristolochioides? Bookmark this great little website by Michael Kevin Smith, which includes audio recordings of all species names.

If you’re looking to buy a tropical pitcher plant I suggest you check out my directory of recommended nurseries. Got a question? Please click here to send me an email.