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Nepenthes maxima

Dexenthes

Aristoloingulamata
Hey folks.

I remember one the first things I read or heard about Nepenthes was that N. ventricosa and N. maxima were considered incredibly vigorous and bomb-proof plants. I have thoroughly tested and tried N. ventricosa's ability to withstand harsh treatment. I have not, however ever grown N. maxima or anything with maxima genes in it.

I've noticed an influx of different N. maxima varieties available through different sources and my interest in perhaps obtaining one these varieties has been growing lately.

So I have a few different questions or requests:

1.) Just how vigorous is Nepenthes maxima? Also has anyone noticed if some of the different varieties, especially the dwarf varieties are they as hardy as any other N. maxima forms?

2.) Does anyone grow some of the dwarf forms, and have any pictures?

3.) What have your experiences with N. maxima been?

Thanks!
 
N Maxima : Vigorous in any conditions wether ultra lowland or ultra highland conditions, but it still needs high humidiity to produce pitchers. My N. Maxima started to produce pitchers once opened up the greenhouse. It opens up about 1-3 pitchers per week.

Well, thats my experience with N. Maxima.
 
A small Nepenthes maxima cutting was given to my university's botanical garden a few years ago (at least 5 but not more than 10). Under the care of people who had no idea of how to care for it, over and underwatering it, subjecting it to prolonged periods of 90+ temps (including at night), and never feeding it, the main vine is now over 20' long, easily reaching the roof of our main greenhouse and then some. In the last three months, I have been able to make 5 1-foot long cuttings of offshoots. It is a happy beast, although it has not flowered in the last year.

In my own collection, I've noticed my small maxima(m) x glandulifera is a hearty grower, pumping out a new leaf with developing pitcher about once every 2-3 weeks. The pitcher development is slower than some (my sanguinea never ceases to amaze me), but next to my lowii, it clearly needs them up in a hurry :p

No experiences with dwarf varieties (that I know of).
 
I have some I grew from seed as maxima mini.
the one seedling I repotted to a larger pot has started vining, is flowering, and has a basal.
seems to be vigorous and has grown in ll to hl conditions.
I have some maxima giant from seed that are growing well but need to put on some size to be able to tell much difference.
PICS of my largest maxima mini that is flowering male right now.
maximamini.jpg


maximamini3.jpg


maximaupper-Copy.jpg


some of the smaller seedlings. I wish I had room to re-pot them.
maximamini2.jpg


Peace,
Zero
 
I've noticed that the large varieties are fairly slow growers (ruffle leaf, black lip (formerly N. eymea), making a new leaf and pitcher once every 2-3 months. The smaller ones, like N. maxima "tentena" are very fast, making a new pitcher about every other week. So far, my "Lake Poso" maxima is a slow one, but it's still small.
 
Zero! Thanks for the pics and everybody for the input.

Do you know if it was the 'Watutau' variety?
 
I've found that my Maxima will pitcher in nearly any condition. Humidity, temperature (obviously not too extreme), and odd watering schedules hardly affect it at all.
 
In the past I've had a few unknown hybrids with clearly N. maxima genes as well as N. Miranda.

I now have a seed grown red N. maxima from Zero which AFAIK isn't supposed to be a miniature variety but it seems to be staying around 8" diameter with 3-4" pitchers. I also germinated a bunch of miniature N. maxima Lake Poso form seeds and got a huge number germinating, tempted to say almost all of them appear to have germinated. They all seem to be good growers in warm conditions.

I only have one plant with N. maxima genes in HL conditions, and that's N. Ipuensis (ventricosa x ventricosa x maxima x lowii x ventricosa) it's pretty slow in HL so it might actually do better in LL but for now I don't have any empty space in LL conditions to put it.
 
1.) My large form of maxima and my tentena form both appear to be very vigorous, and seem to grow in a wide variety of temps, light levels, and humidity levels.

2.) I grow the tentena form which makes pitchers under 5in and the plant stays at about 8in diameter

3.) Very good, seems to be a relaible grower and pitcher producer, although the ones I grow seem to preffer intermediate temps for optimum growth.

Tentena form
Nmaxima_7-30-11.jpg
 
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  • #10
We just got what I believe is N. x mixta (northiana x maxima), and N x mixta x maxima at Meadowview. They're vigorous growers, very vigorous! One of them has about 4-5 flowers on it, and 3 vines measuring 6 feet long at least. They kept growing after being moved, too. N. maxima seems to be like ventricosa for hybrids, fast.
 
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I have had a maxima for about 1 year now. It was like 3 inches when I got it. Now, the diameter is roughly 10 inches. Funny, it still looks really small. It has made 9 leaves in the last year, and maybe 4 pitchers, each one becoming progressivly more mature. I can't find the first picture when I got it, but these are the most recent.

I don't know what kind it is, but I have been meaning to find out. I am rather fond of it...


edit: pictures of the first and the last pitchers it has put out in 1 year:

DSC09491.jpg


IMAG0104.jpg
 
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