I didn't know they flowered.
Jan

Wow! How cool! I didn't know they bloomed either. I guess the pitchers are for food. My friend drops little bits of chicken breast into the cups of his for nutrition.

Evelyn,
That is incredible! And thanks alot for defeating my goal of not being a plant collector again, lol!

Maybe it's able to suck nutrients out of the air? Like the way legumes fixate nitrogen?

Either way...beautiful!!!!

Helen

I thought the pitchers were the flowers too!
Please post another picture when it's fully opened.

Nepenthes are either male or female. The flowers are of little interest compared to the modified leaf which can produce a pitcher when conditions are right at the end of a extending tendril. The pitcher development is based on light, temperature, & humidity (dew point). It is taken that without being moist the Nepenthes will not produce a pitcher - it always must be moist to wet.
This is a hardy hybrid N. x.ventrata (shown in picture).
Because the pitcher is what the plant is noted the blooms are cut off as to save energy for better leaf production of pitchers.
To get seed you need to have both male and female then pollinate them by hand. Growing Nepenthes from seed is extremely time consuming taking many years to mature. (think cactus) if they survive from the tiny seedlings prone to fungal rot.
A healthy Nepenthes plant need not always produce pitchers, again climate has to be right. These are outdoor plants in florida. This hybrid produces its best pitchers in spring and fall. Summers are a bit too hot for its likes. This hybrid is one of the few that can take temperatures down to near freezing and thrive come spring. It will will cease to grow and produce pitchers during low humidity and cold weather.
Failure to produce pitchers related to the proper conditions here is the result of one main factor, taken that the plant must be wet at all times. The factor is lack of enough light. Dappled light such as under a live oak or full morning sun will certainly promote full pitchering from this vigorous hardy hybrid. Acclimated to the sun the pitchers turn a rich tomato red, less light and less colorful pitchers.

This is a plant, not a animal. It catchs bugs on its own by nectar glands around the peristome (lips) and hood. The little bit of fluid the pitcher holds is absorbed through the roots. The pitcher is never full of liquid, nor should any water be added to the pitcher once it is set in its place to grow out. Plants don't eat chicken or hamburger. In fact the overly rich meats that a human or dog would eat will set back and possibly kill the plant. A large food item will cause the pitcher to rot away.

Because a pitcher rots away or dries out and dies doesn't mean there is any problem with the plant. It is a leaf, and older leaves down any plant stalk, stem, trunk fade away with age. A brown or decaying pitcher doesn't mean the plant isn't fine, it is very normal.

The carnivorous plants do not need to eat daily, we make all things human from our pets to our plants. Plants are totally capable of getting their own needs. Some don't think they have bugs on their enclosed pool cage or porch. In Florida or even Las Vegas there are enough bugs for the plant to catch.
If one wants to feed a plant then a ant, fly, small catapillar, or spider are ample.
The pitcher plant doesn't move like the Venus Fly Trap. It is a passive trap and acts like a stomach.
The reason the plant eats is because it grows in habitat that lacks nutrients in the soil, thus it captures small prey items to fill this need. As such you never fertilize a carnivorous plant, never! You grow it in a acidic soil mix and not house plant soil.

This hybrid along with a few others are being massed marketed at the box stores from a Dutch breeder. Often neglected and they go down hill quickly if they dry out, but they come back strong.

People will say I go away on vaction and can't keep a wet plant. The Nepenthes can be dumped in a big bucket of water so that it is almost submerged for a few weeks with no problem if kept in light areas. Better to be far too wet for a period of time then ever dry. The hanging basket is the foe of growing Nepenthes in our climate because it dries out very quickly due to the elements. This hybrid can take some drought far better than most which when allowed to dry will be weak and set back if not die.

This common hybrid grown moist in a sunny or bright location is extremely vigorous and impressive with little time. A easy one to grow and worth it.

The key to growing the tropical Nepenthes hybrid in Florida is simply sun (3 - 5 hrs daily), and keep moist.

Take Care

Mike
Hyde's Stove-House

WOW!

Ok, I have learned, the plant needs more sun and I should cut off the blooms (not going to happen, at least until I see how they develop) and its name ( it was sold to me as 'ventricosa').

Thanks Mike :-)

Evelyn

Mike, I just checked, the tag says ventricosa. I did not buy this plant at a box store but a plant sale at Leu Gardens a couple of years back. What is the the difference between the two?