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Compact growing Neps

pappydew

I hate bugs. Carnivorous plants get me.
I'm looking for species that don't get too big or at least do not vine out of control.

Conditions are around 70-80F during the day and drop a bit at night then. Not really strict HL or LL I guess? My ventricosa does well if that helps give an idea.

Anyways, I don't have much space at the moment so even super slow growers would work. Gotta be somewhat forgiving as well, I'm a Nep newb. Thanks for any and all suggestions!
 
Hi. I love the tiny, mighty giants of the nep world myself. Unfortunatly the big, or is that tiny, three; diatas, glabrata and argentii are all slightly fussy and for me at least grow best in a true HL envirment.

I'd suggest looking into the mini or dwarf variations of N. maxima. Although normally a larger growing nep some of the smaller ones would fit your conditions nicely. I'm currently growing a 'lake poso' varity along side my ventricosa on a humidity tray on my orchid racks. ( small disclaimer..my humidity tray is 12 square feet) I know of at least three of these smaller varities, an internet search may reveal even more.
 
I was curious about the N. maxima "Watutau Dwarf" actually...what are some others?
 
I was curious about the N. maxima "Watutau Dwarf" actually...what are some others?

'lake poso' and 'napu valley'. I'm sure there may be more. I'd like a 'watutua dwarf' myself as I've read it's smaller than 'lake poso'. I've been watching the "mini" N. maxima's for sale on various sites and auctions and noticed that many do not have the specific variation listed, just the word mini. I'd be wary of those and go with a seller, private or not, that you can trust.
 
N. muluensis x lowii is easy to keep compact, it looks great, and it is easy to grow. They're not fussy and do great in the intermediate to highland temperature range. Give them a lot of light and the pitchers will be dark and beautiful. I have one that's been growing in the same intermediate tank for years. When it threatens to vine (after all, nepenthes are vines), I get out the trimmers, hack it down, and it just gets bushier. Great plant.
 
I quite like N.bellii hybrids. Seem to be quite a bit smaller than whatever they get crossed with and usually turn the plant into an intermediate grower when crossed with highlanders :)
 
I would say N. spectabilis x aristolochioides gets my vote. Small plant, gorgeous pitchers, and very hardy to boot.
 
My Nepenthes ampullaria is pretty compact. Further, if you keep trimming the stem, it produces tons of ground pitchers.
 
I would not choose a glabrata
Once it enters vining stage, well it grows faster than any nepenthes I've seen. Faster than my ventricosa, sanguinea, or even my alata. Once mine entered vining stage it produced a 3 foot vine in about a year. Unfortunately that vine died back while I was on vacation as the plant got a little dry.
 
  • #10
I'd go for N. bellii. It's a small lowlander, but hates having its roots disturbed. There's always tentaculata and maxima "tentena" as well. We have a very compact alata with beautiful red splotching at Meadowview.
 
  • #11
Wow, thanks for all the suggestions!
 
  • #12
My Nepenthes ampullaria is pretty compact. Further, if you keep trimming the stem, it produces tons of ground pitchers.

HAHAHAHA! :lol:


Seriously...my amp is a beast...I got the species because I was told that it stayed compact....mine sure as hell didn't! You cut down one vine and two more take it's place....it has no interest in making ground pitchers, just quick growing basals.
 
  • #13
Adnata is small, tobaica is easy to prune and keep small.

---------- Post added at 06:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:10 PM ----------

HAHAHAHA! :lol:


Seriously...my amp is a beast...I got the species because I was told that it stayed compact....mine sure as hell didn't! You cut down one vine and two more take it's place....it has no interest in making ground pitchers, just quick growing basals.

Plenty of light is the key to ground pitchers, without it they vine like crazy searching for more light.
 
  • #14
Adnata is small, tobaica is easy to prune and keep small.

---------- Post added at 06:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:10 PM ----------



Plenty of light is the key to ground pitchers, without it they vine like crazy searching for more light.

Hmmm...interesting...I read that they pitcher nicely in shadier conditions. *Shakes fist at "The savage garden"*
 
  • #15
Glabrata is great, stays small for years. Mine never got more than 8" across. But once it hit a foot tall it started vining. 6 months later it was pushing 4 feet, so once they vine they rocket to the moon. mulesnis x lowii...now that one stays small and grows so darn slow, beautiful to boot. spectabilis x aristo, for me, stays as small as glabrata, but isn't finicky like glabrata is. Also, consider singalana. I think it eventually puts on size, but mine grows as slow as lowii. I've had it for 5 years, and it's 5 inches tall, 6" across. As long as it doesn't get over 80F it does ok for me.
 
  • #16
p1020955.jpg

Definitely bicalcarata. That guy is actually an inch and a half tall!
 
  • #17
:lol:

You win.
 
  • #18
argentii!

I would not go with N. glabrata because it can be more delicate than some of the others.

spectabilis x aristolochioides is a GREAT cross and mine hasn't gotten large at all.
 
  • #19
argentii!

I would not go with N. glabrata because it can be more delicate than some of the others.

spectabilis x aristolochioides is a GREAT cross and mine hasn't gotten large at all.

Spect x aristo is relatively small, but it DOES vine. Not a good candidate for the terrarium.
 
  • #20
So that's how Francois travels so easily, he hides in someone's pocket!
 
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