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What is a good pitcher plant for indoor gorwing? Is there anything that:

Can grow by a window or under a lamp.
Handle the low humidity of indoor life.
Remain small to medium in size.
Go without a cold-dormant period.

If the pitcher plant can be grown as an epiphyte or lithophyte, that would be a plus!

Currently, I am doing well growing: Pinguicula potosiensis, moranensis, agnata x gypsicola and Drosera capensis (typical and albino).
 
I couldn't tell you off the top of my head, but this site has some good info on growing Neps inside: http://www.nepenthesaroundthehouse.com/

Also, I believe I've read somewhere that S. purpurea can be grown indoors by a window, but they do require a dormancy. However, I'm not sure if they need a cold dormancy, or just a photo-dormancy.
 
A lot of intermediate Nepenthes such as Nepenthes x Ventrata which can often be found in lowes or Home Depot should work just fine in a sunny windowsill or under a compact fluorescent daylight spectrum bulb. Good luck!
 
I have a Ventrata cutting that is getting abused in my window sill. nice growth but no pitchers ATM. Pay shipping and its yours.
 
I grew Cephalotus in a sunny bathroom for a year and it seemed happy enough.
 
all Nepenthes are tropical so they never go dormant, I think a nepenthes similar to what you are looking for would be Nepenthes campanulata. it stays small only about 6 to 8 inches in diameter, never vines, its also a lythophyte growing in limestone rock walls. But its a rare one and often sells out fast with purveyors here in the US
 
all Nepenthes are tropical so they never go dormant, I think a nepenthes similar to what you are looking for would be Nepenthes campanulata. it stays small only about 6 to 8 inches in diameter, never vines, its also a lythophyte growing in limestone rock walls. But its a rare one and often sells out fast with purveyors here in the US

While the temperature range of an indoor environment might be tolerable to a warm growing species like N. campanulata, low humidity will probably prevent the species from performing well.

To the OP: N. Ventrata or N. Miranda would be better choices for you, but be aware that if you have really low humidity in the house, it can prevent any Nepenthes from forming pitchers. I performed a test in Summer 2012 where I placed a couple of my easiest N. maxima hybrids outdoors from June to early October, and in our dry (30%) air the plants stopped producing pitchers completely, even though all other climate conditions was ideal. They resumed pitchering only once they were returned to the humid greenhouse environment in mid-October. I think many people overlook the importance of humidity as a significant factor in the production of pitchers, and there is a point at which the dryness factor will prevent pitcher formation. It would be a good idea to measure the relative humidity in your house over a period of several days, both day and night readings, to determine exactly how dry your house is before making any choices.
 
Generally speaking, Nepenthes are decent indoor plants. Sarracenias need direct sunlight and a dormancy.
 
I'd say pretty much anything that naturally grows in your temperature range and doesn't get massive. I'd also suggest ventrata, but after two years, mine is half the length of my greenhouse and grows wall to wall width-wise.
 
  • #10
I have a couple N.campanulata X ventricosa, the main plant is in my greenhouse but I trialed a cutting here at uni and it is happy, plus this hybrid is tolerant of very low light levels and still pitchers, it gets 40-50% humidity and no full sun just bright light and is happy, my main plant is a few years old and is only 25cm diameter and 10cm tall, has several basals and nice 14cm tall traps with the open mouth of a campanulata, so maybe if you can find another camp hybrid, but the pure species will suffer in low humidity, and they also like high light levels.
Maxima Mini is another that stays small and tolerates low humidity, or ventricosa, they bush up well when pruned, are compact and small (compared to others) tolerate low humidity, are cheap and are happy in the shade, they are also happy here in a tropical climate yet they are an intermediate/highlander.
 
  • #11
While the temperature range of an indoor environment might be tolerable to a warm growing species like N. campanulata, low humidity will probably prevent the species from performing well.

To the OP: N. Ventrata or N. Miranda would be better choices for you, but be aware that if you have really low humidity in the house, it can prevent any Nepenthes from forming pitchers. I performed a test in Summer 2012 where I placed a couple of my easiest N. maxima hybrids outdoors from June to early October, and in our dry (30%) air the plants stopped producing pitchers completely, even though all other climate conditions was ideal. They resumed pitchering only once they were returned to the humid greenhouse environment in mid-October. I think many people overlook the importance of humidity as a significant factor in the production of pitchers, and there is a point at which the dryness factor will prevent pitcher formation. It would be a good idea to measure the relative humidity in your house over a period of several days, both day and night readings, to determine exactly how dry your house is before making any choices.

I can attest to this. My alata has lived over 10 years but has formed almost no pitchers because I leave it outside where humidity is low. If the humidity of your house is too low maybe you could get a humidifier.
 
  • #12
I have robcantely and cephalotus both pitcher and growing very healthy on my sunny windowsill. Humidity is very low, yesterday was only 5%.
 
  • #13
While the temperature range of an indoor environment might be tolerable to a warm growing species like N. campanulata, low humidity will probably prevent the species from performing well.

To the OP: N. Ventrata or N. Miranda would be better choices for you, but be aware that if you have really low humidity in the house, it can prevent any Nepenthes from forming pitchers. I performed a test in Summer 2012 where I placed a couple of my easiest N. maxima hybrids outdoors from June to early October, and in our dry (30%) air the plants stopped producing pitchers completely, even though all other climate conditions was ideal. They resumed pitchering only once they were returned to the humid greenhouse environment in mid-October. I think many people overlook the importance of humidity as a significant factor in the production of pitchers, and there is a point at which the dryness factor will prevent pitcher formation. It would be a good idea to measure the relative humidity in your house over a period of several days, both day and night readings, to determine exactly how dry your house is before making any choices.

Thirding this, and will state that, as far as Neps go, I'd suggest: x ventrata, alata (or its variants), ventricosa, sanguinea ('orange' is probably the most common variety), or, really, most things in the Intermediate range of this chart and widely available should do okay. However, you'll have to do some research to make sure that it'll stay small, otherwise, you'll be making cuttings all the time.
 
  • #14
I have robcantely and cephalotus both pitcher and growing very healthy on my sunny windowsill. Humidity is very low, yesterday was only 5%.

I too, was able to grow both of these plants indoors on windowsill. I never had a problem with these two forming pitchers under low humidity. But n. robcantleyi gets huge, so that would not work.
 
  • #15
I'd say pretty much anything that naturally grows in your temperature range and doesn't get massive. I'd also suggest ventrata, but after two years, mine is half the length of my greenhouse and grows wall to wall width-wise.

I feel the need to amend that statement:

"anything that naturally grows in your INDOOR temperature range!" ;)

your outside climate is utterly irrelevant to this discussion..
carry on.
Scot
 
  • #16
Thank you all, so many smart and thought out replies!
This gives me a lot to think about now. But I'm sure there is a perfect one for me.
Thanks Jcal, but it looks as thought it gets huge!
 
  • #17
One other plant you might consider is S. rosea. The only problem might be lighting, but with a lamp and good window light, you would probably be ok.
 
  • #18
What is a good pitcher plant for indoor gorwing? Is there anything that:

Can grow by a window or under a lamp.
Handle the low humidity of indoor life.
Remain small to medium in size.
Go without a cold-dormant period.

If the pitcher plant can be grown as an epiphyte or lithophyte, that would be a plus!

Currently, I am doing well growing: Pinguicula potosiensis, moranensis, agnata x gypsicola and Drosera capensis (typical and albino).

I think this has adequately covered in this thread, but just in case:

Can grow by a window or under a lamp. - No. (they could survive for a short time, but its really not enough light)
Handle the low humidity of indoor life. - Yes.
Remain small to medium in size. - Yes.
Go without a cold-dormant period. - No.

the two yes's are irrelevant, because the two No's override them.
there is no Saccenia that can survive indoors long-term without a dormancy.
its best for the plants to not grow them indoors at all, ever..they simply are not tropical houseplants.

Scot
 
  • #19
"there is no Saccenia that can survive indoors long-term without a dormancy" Scottychaos,
I am in a tropical climate and my Sarra purpurea has been growing in the back of my greenhouse in dim light (under a bench) for a couple years, and before that it spent 3 years under a tree in the yard, no full sun, it has not had a dormancy in over 4years and shows no signs of slowing growth, but I will admit that a few other sarra's have gone into a shock then decline after the first 2yeasr of no dormancy, but not purpurea, and my minor is getting to the 4year mark without dormancy and looks good, and all of my sarra's flower for me to.
True these are not indoors, but they are still happy without dormancy.
Leuc's and flava on the other hand need a dormancy for me or they get very sickly.
Another one is dionaea, although my attempts to grow these plants long-term has failed (due to lack of dormancy I guess) there is another grower here that has a few huge dionaea that she has had growing on her balcony for over 5years without dormancy and they look great, the only difference between her place and mine is that my humidity is always above 70%, so I am yet to figure out why her plants prosper in a lowland nepenthes climate.


But many nepenthes are happy in dim light, my bellii gets filtered light all day and is happy, I tried pervillei, campanulata and kongkadana in the same conditions and they declined, so obviously belli are tolerant of dimer light, and they stay small, but humidity may be an issue.
 
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