Nepenthes ventricosa x edwardsiana is a cross that seems to have a lot of variation in appearance and not just because of the different clones used as parents; even siblings can end up looking drastically divergent where the main trait of interest is concerned. And by that I mean the toothy peristome inherited from the father. A lot seem to have mostly lost that, enhancing the ribs of ventricosa slightly but not much more. A few select ones though, and I seem to for once have been lucky enough to land on one, end up with not only the ventricosa shape, but very pronounced ribs and larger teeth, and a rich mottled red as seen here that enhances the look. This plant is also still young and will develop even more with age; it’s only a foot across with 4 inch pitchers, and should easily reach four times that size before it’s mature. The teeth, undoubtedly, will also grow to match.
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Embron helping prep one of the first highland pitchers for repotting: Nepenthes ventricosa x (spathulata x spectabilis). A female plant though we have yet to get it to make seeds (the one time it bloomed didn’t take), quite vigorous, and makes highly attractive pitchers. Lowers are chunkier and in strong light not only sport rich striping and red mottled but also takes on an overall pink undertone. Upper pitchers are more slender, brighter yellow and red contrasted, but still retain the crenellated stripey peristomes and shattered blotches of the lowers.

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The coyote’s back, and he’s here to share a cross that just got a repot and a relocate into the highland tent: Nepenthes ventricosa “red” HC A x naga! Three of the four clones we kept are shown here, matching with Embron’s coat colors and showing the variation that came out of this cross. Clone A for once actually had the best of all traits, being the most vigorous and fattest but also the darkest with a peristome that turns jet black with age. By contrast clone B is slimmer with a cherry red lip and distinct blotches on the pitcher body. Clones C and D are somewhat mini versions of the prior two but with differing shapes. These are all liable to become very large impressive plants over time, and having been in the lowland tent until now also demonstrate how extremely tolerant they are too.
Two seedling siblings of those also still available on the website Shop presently.

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Three exciting developments representing success after a great deal of struggle:
Nepenthes mirabilis echinostoma. I’ve killed 3 of them already, but for some reason this one hung on, and just in the past couple weeks it’s suddenly jumped in size and started making traps with that characteristic wildly flared and ribbed peristome. This is supposed to be a dark clone, so hopefully the color fills in as it ages.
Nepenthes treubiana Andamata is also gaining size, though it has been fairly steadily for a while. Its characteristic bronze color is only just showing now however and should get ever stronger as time goes by. Fingers crossed that this Papuan giant also reaches the huge proportions it should too.
And, N. neoguineensis is also finally showing color and gaining size after having been a struggling little strip of leaf for so long. Leaves are flushing red and the pitchers showing some purple.
With any luck, all three of these will continue to grow over winter in their warm corner, and next year actually be large enough to make feature videos on.

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A trio of complex lowland hybrids that prove a case of my expectations being completely wrong…because they’re from seeds that were fridge-stored for over 18 months before being sent to me to sow. Not many seedlings managed to get past germinating but still. And once repotted they’ve taken off.
Crosses are: N. (rafflesiana “white” x mirabilis) x (orbiculata x ampullaria “red”), (mirabilis x orbiculata) x (orbiculata x ampullaria “red), and most intriguing, x trichocarpa x (bicalcarata x maxima).

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Nepenthes (‘Helen’ x spectabilis PB) HC A x mollis JH, HC A. Growing more striking with every new pitcher, the stripes a very clear standout trait but the peristome also already showing flare influence from spathulata and mollis. I selected four to keep as I usually do, but a couple dozen siblings are also available on the website Shop., waiting for new spaces to spread their roots and take off in.

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Slightly delayed due to being away for filming, but a new plant spotlight is now available, featuring one of the most variable and easily grown, but overlooked pitcher plants: Nepenthes gracilis! Some might consider it a very simple, bland plant, but its tendency to make ridiculous numbers of pitchers and wide tolerance of growing conditions make even the simple green versions fun to grow...and green is far from the only version it comes in.
Find the video here: https://youtu.be/rfTIN992I4c

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Tall skinny black pitchers; if you’re only allowed to grow one, which do you choose? In order: Nepenthes Black Dragon (izumiae x truncata), ramispina x truncata, or ramispina x robcantleyi.
Luckily I don’t have to choose :)

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