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Hybrids with significant "hybrid vigor"

S

SWAGnum

Has anyone grown a Nepenthes hybrid with particularly strong "hybrid vigor", either faster growing than the parents, or more tolerant of conditions outside the preferred range of the parents? I have noticed this trait in some hybrids, but not in others.

One example I can give from my own collection in my N. sibuyanensis x robcantleyi. This was one of the first Nepenthes. I got it mid-summer, when my conditions were firmly "lowland", days in the 90s, nights in the 70s. My conditions for the other 10 months of the year are 10-15 degrees cooler day and night. I grew it as a houseplant under lights, in 40-50% humidity. It acclimated easily, grew steadily and pitchered. It has since sped up and done even better now that I have cooler temps and a hydrofogger. I'm pretty sure these conditions would have killed either of the parent species.
 
Almost all hybrids(And I say almost because I recall there being an Eddy hybrid that was harder to grow than both its parents being discussed in the chat) are easier to grow than the parent plants.

Im going to state the obvious with N. 'Ventrata' (AKA ventricosa x alata) being a bullet proof hybrid. Most N. ventricosa hybrids are extremely tough and easy to grow under a very wide variety of conditions.
 
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My vote has to go with Ventrata or Miranda for the reason that Sashoke mentioned...I did kill my large Ventrata due to my stupidity though
 
N. thorelii x aristolochioides is a very nice looking plant (sort of like a smaller version of N. klossii) and is an easy / quick grower in comparison to true N. aristolochioides if you can't meet the cool highland temps it needs year round.

Also the various N. belii x aristolochioides hybrids, they're rather small but very easy in warm lowland conditions.
 
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Ventrata gets my vote. I love miranda but I have had my current one for about 9ish months but it's only put out 2 small pitchers and is currently working on one very slowly... It puts out a lot of nice red leaves though. Ventrata seems to pitcher all the time.
 
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I grow both aristo x thorelii and bellii x aristo. Neither are doing very well for me, they are pitchering well, but they have stunted-looking leaves. I am using 8 x T5 HO fluorescents, so I am pretty sure they were getting too much light, so I moved the lights farther away. The newest leaves look a bit better than the last.

I do agree though, both are easier than their parent species, especially N. aristolochioides.
 
N. splendiana x mixta grows for me under any conditions from ULL to UHL. True it does slow down in the winter a bit but I would have thought the LL genes would have caused some problems under HL and UHL conditions but not so, and it seems to not be fussy about light levels either. I haven't grown any of the LL in it's background but I highly doubt any of them would survive through the Winter months for me. I do grow the HL in the mix (maxima) and it slows waaaay down in the Winter and seems to prefer more light.
 
SWAGnum said:
I grow both aristo x thorelii and bellii x aristo. Neither are doing very well for me, they are pitchering well, but they have stunted-looking leaves. I am using 8 x T5 HO fluorescents, so I am pretty sure they were getting too much light, so I moved the lights farther away. The newest leaves look a bit better than the last.

I do agree though, both are easier than their parent species, especially N. aristolochioides.
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If - as your opening post suggests - your night temps are consistently above 60F year round, that would contribute significantly to poor performance of the N. aristolochioides hybrids you've listed. Night temps must go below 60F on a regular basis for optimal, long-term health of these plants.
 
I'll be giving the aristo hybrids to some friends in town who grow highlanders.

xSplendiana is a famously vigorous hybrid. I got one a couple weeks ago. It suffered some cold damage in shipping, but is recovering well and starting to pitcher again.
 
  • #10
The N. burkei x hamata i have recently bought have been doing beautifully. Both have put out 4 new leaves in the past 2 months and have taken quite well to a high of 70º and a low of 60º i couldn't be happier.
 
  • #11
dci95 said:
The N. burkei x hamata i have recently bought have been doing beautifully. Both have put out 4 new leaves in the past 2 months and have taken quite well to a high of 70º and a low of 60º i couldn't be happier.
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Thats great, but..... its worth noting that it takes several months for temperature-related growth issues to manifest themselves as symptomatic. I assure you a ten degree day-to-night temperature differential is insufficient for the long-term health of any Nepenthes, regardless of its pedigree. You should be thinking in terms of a 25 to 30 degree differential, with nights below 60F, every single night.
 
  • #12
N. sibuyanensis x truncata is a good one. I grew as a houseplant under lights before I built my grow-tent and it had no problem pitchering in low humidity.
 
  • #13
SWAGnum said:
N. sibuyanensis x truncata is a good one. I grew as a houseplant under lights before I built my grow-tent and it had no problem pitchering in low humidity.
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Of course - truncata hybrids will pitcher just about anywhere.
 
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