Asian Pitcher Plant
4" Pot Size
Experience Level Needed: Medium
Mature Size
Can fill out a decent sized hanging basket or pot if potted up.
Description
This cool carnivorous plant has unique large pitchers on the ends of its leaves. In addition to the plant’s appearance, the pitcher plant lures prey with sweet-smelling nectar that emanates from the rim of the pitcher. Once an insect falls into this pitcher, it is almost impossible to get out. The slippery rims of the pitchers prevent insects from gaining the traction needed to escape. It is also lined with downward-pointing hairs that help trap them. Even flying insects are no match for the pitcher plant. The water within is a pool of sugars and digestive enzymes to dissolve the prey almost immediately! Wait for the bugs to come to it or drop some in for fun!
Light Requirements
They grow spectacularly on sunny windowsills. Always protect your plant from draft, extreme heat, and freezing temperatures. Windowsills that have Southerly, Easterly, or Westerly orientations are adequate, the main concern being ample sunlight. Sun is the key element in getting your plant to grow pitchers!
Watering
Unlike other carnivorous plants, it will tolerate hard water with almost no adverse effect. It is best to water the plant from the bottom. The easiest way to do this is to put the pot on top of a saucer of some kind and fill it with water. The plant will then suck up the water from the bottom as needed. You will only need to add more water when the water in the saucer has almost completely run out. It does not like to dry out very much in between waterings.
Additional Care Tips and Info
When repotting it use a mix of 1 part dried sphagnum moss and 1 part perlite. Avoid using potting soil and compost, as their nutrient and mineral ingredients can kill carnivorous plants.
Try to keep the temperature in the room between 10 and 23 degrees Celsius. It enjoys it best between 15 and 23 degrees Celsius.
To contain growth in height, the tips can be trimmed a little. This results in the formation of more side shoots and a bushier growth. After the trim, it mainly grows to the sides instead of shooting upward. The pitchers don’t grow very old and dry out at some point. Then they should be cut and removed, just like other withered parts of the plants too. It will help to encourage new pitchers to form.
Fertilizing is not required as long as you occasionally feed the pitchers some insects. If you don't plan to do this you can use a heavily diluted orchid fertilizer instead once every two weeks.