It’s always amazing to grow a different type of Nepenthes in your garden, but what are the easiest Nepenthes to grow? It’s not that difficult to grow some species of nepenthes to make your garden or house even more beautiful!
Nepenthes are amazing plants with hanging pitchers that grab your attention because they are so unique. Some of them are rosettes and others form vines. Different species of nepenthes pitchers vary in size, color, and even appearance. For example, lower pitchers are small, more slender, and arise from climbing stems. However, some pitchers grow in big vines wrapping around branches.
This article covers different species of nepenthes that are very easy to grow. After reading this guide, you will be able to grow different types of nepenthes in your garden, patio, or living room. Let’s get started!
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The Easiest Nepenthes To Grow
There are a lot of different kind Nepenthes pitcher plants, many with different environmental needs. This is because these plants grow on mountain hills with different altitudes between 0-3500 meters (0-11500 feet).
Most of the time the highland Nepenthes (2500-3500 meters) are the easiest to grow because they can tolerate lower temperatures. The lowland species need constant hot weather with high humidity (tropical weather).
If you don't pay attention to the specific needs of the plants, your plants might die over time but these easy to grow Nepenthes often have the same care guidance. You can find a general care guide for these plants at the end of this article.
Here is a list of easy to grow Nepenthes you can grow on a windowsill or in some cases in a garden:
- Nepenthes alata
- Nepenthes ventricosa
- Nepenthes khasiana
- Nepenthes veitchii
- Nepenthes sanguinea
- Nepenthes maxima
- Nepenthes rafflesiana
- Nepenthes x 'Bloody Mary'
We are going to talk about the 8 easiest Nepenthes to grow. You can grow them both indoors and outdoor but I recommend growing them indoors on a sunny windowsill. When growing Nepenthes outdoors in a garden, always protect the plants from frost and be careful when the day temperature drops below 55F or goes above for an extended period of time, because the plants will start showing cold damage.
These plants prefer if they stay warm year round but...
Mature plants can survive winter temps down to 29F with no protection, other than from frost, and summer heats up to 105F.
Here are the easiest nepenthes to grow in a sun room or outdoors on a patio:
1. Nepenthes alata
Photo by: Seiya Ishibashi
This tropical pitcher plant is originated from the Philippines and grows from 550 meters to 1900 meters altitude. Because this pitcher grows in such a wide range of altitudes, it will easily grow with different temperatures.
“Ala” is a Latin word which means “wing”. So Nepenthes Alata is famous for its lower pitcher wings. It is a highly polymorphic plant with pitchers ranging from green to orange, purple to yellow, speckled to red, and other colors as well. Pitcher traps grow up to 20cm tall.
2. Nepenthes ventricosa
Photo by: Seiya Ishibashi
This tropical intermediate/highland Nepenthes grows in the Philippines. It is one of the most unique tropical pitcher plants. Its appearance and characteristics are entirely different from other species. Because this pitcher is a highland pitcher - it likes colder temperatures at night which are ideal for keeping them in a colder climate where it cools down at night.
"Ventricosus" is a Latin word that means "having a swelling on one side". When the Nepenthes ventricosa grows to a mature plant, the pitcher traps on the plant will grow a swelling on the side. The pitcher traps can grow up to 13 cm and the plant can vine up to 8 meters.
3. Nepenthes khasiana
Photo by: wiki Commons
This beautiful Nepenthes naturally grows in the Khasi Hills in India. That is why it's called the Nepenthes khasiana. This pitcher plant grows on steep slopes between 500-1500 meters and is therefor a lowland/intermediate Nepenthes. This plant is easily acclimated in a sunny room or on a patio. But keep this plant away from too cold temperatures because it will show cold damage fast.
4. Nepenthes veitchii
Photo by: Geoff McKay
The Nepenthes veitchii is a tropical pitcher plant and naturally grows on the island of Borneo in Asia. These pitchers grow on mountain hills from 0-1600 meters altitude and will vine up into trees (up to 30 meters or 100 feet). Because these wide ranges of altitudes it grows in, this pitcher belongs to the easy-to-grow pitchers.
The name "veitchii" comes from James Veitch, which was the nurseryman of the Veitch Nurseries. The traps of this pitcher can grow up to 20cm (8 inches) tall.
5. Nepenthes sanguinea
Photo by: Sylvain Bezy
This tropical pitcher naturally grows in Peninsular Malaysia and southernmost Thailand. It grows on mountain hills from 300-1800 meters (1000 to 6000 feet) and has these blood-red pitchers with round leaves at the top of the trap. This species is easily grown in a sunroom or on a sunny patio.
"Sanguineus" is a Latin word that means "blood red". The pitcher traps can grow up to 30cm (12 inches) in length.
6. Nepenthes maxima
Photos by: Alfindra Primaldhi
The Nepenthes maxima has a relatively wide distribution covering New Guinea, Sulawesi, and Maluku Island in Indonesia. It is extremely adaptable and grows on altitudes from 40-2600 meters (130-8530 feet). Because this plant can adapt to a lot of different temperature ranges, it can easily be grown indoors or outdoors in a garden.
"Maximus" is a Latin word which means "greatest", which at the time that this plant was discovered, it was the greatest pitchers.
7. Nepenthes rafflesiana
Photos by: NepGrower & Bernard DUPONT
Nepenthes rafflesiana is a tropical lowland pitcher plant that has a very wide distribution covering Borneo, Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia, and Singapore. It grows on mountain slopes from 0-1200 meters (0-4000 feet).
This plant is named after Stamford Raffles which discovered this plant a long time ago. The traps of this plant can grow up to 30 cm (12 inches) in length and the main stem can vine up to 10 meters high.
8. Nepenthes x 'Bloody Mary'
Photo by: Olaf
The Nepenthes x 'Bloody Mary' has been specially cultivated for its red color, that is why it's called Bloody Mary. This plant naturally grows in South-East Asia on altitudes between 100-1500 meters (330-4920 feet). It's easy to take care of and can grow into bushy plants quite fast.
When growing this plant, always make sure the temperate stays above 14°C (57°F), and the plant will grow fine. The traps of this plant can grow up to 15 cm (6 inches).
How to Take Care of Nepenthes: General Care Guide
Some Nepenthes can be difficult to grow and need specific environmental conditions, but the above mentioned Nepenthes are fairly easy to take care of. Caring for these plants is not that hard if you know HOW to take care of them. Below I have made a little care guide for these easy-to-grow Nepenthes:
- Where to plant: Indoors or outdoors, part to full sun.
- Temperature: 25°C during the day and 15°C at night.
- Humidity: Moderate to high (use a humidifier when growing indoors).
- Water: Water your plants frequently with distilled water only. Don’t let the soil dry. Keep that damp because of pitcher plants like soggy soil (not too wet).
- Soil: 1:1:1 of long-fibered sphagnum moss, perlite, and orchid bark.
- Feeding: Once every 2 weeks in the growing season (but not necessary).
- Dormancy: No.
If you like this care guide, check out these care guides:
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How to Grow and Care for Alocasia reversa
How to Care for Alocasia infernalis (Black Magic)
How to Grow and Care for Alocasia azlanii (Red Mambo)
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