Hot dog!! Another excuse to share pics of some of my babies!
N. alata 'spotted' (a highland form)
This species is very easy, as you can see from this specimen going nuts on my windowsill. Someone quipped to me before that it should be called "alota", and i'm beginning to see why - very easy, very beautiful, ... and very fast growing.
That new leaf is 50% larger than the last... help!
A nice view of a new pitcher (the lighter colored one), and an old pitcher (the one with the withered top), as well as one right in between.
N. ventricosa 'red'
Another beautiful species, which is a little less weed-like on my windowsill.
N. xCantleyi (gracilis x bicalcarata), a naturally-occuring hybrid
An older pic:
A new pic:
This thing grows like crazy. I already pruned it twice for cuttings (each of these photos was taken before the pruning), and the basal rosettes make a very nice clump of pitchers. Unfortunately doesn't inherit the cool 'fanged' pitchers of the bical, but an easy plant. Grows in my terrarium.
EDIT
N. hamata
The most expensive plant in my collection:
N. hamata
I can't say it's a good beginner plant - it's too expensive and too fragile:
But isn't that wicked cool looking? That was when i first got it, looking great, from Tony. Unfortunately, it took a dive right away, and lost all its pitchers. Now, five months later, it is finally looking pretty fierce again:
N. bicalcarata
Bicalcarata is the famous 'fanged' Nepenthes, and i've found it very easy to grow. Just put it in a very humid terrarium and make sure it doesn't get direct sunlight or too cold. Mine sits on my windowsill under another terrarium, and probably got to around 60F - a bit colder than it should have - a few times last winter, but with no apparent problems.
If you treat it right, it will grow into a monster very quickly. Just check out the progression in size of the pitchers:
N. ampullaria 'spotted'
Okay, he's looking pretty sad right now - just a cutting i bought at the
last NECPS meeting.
Coming soon... gracilis, rafflesiana, and perhaps stenophlla seedlings in a month or two!