N. rafflesiana

Welcome...

Hi there! Welcome to "PetPitcher"… my web site on Nepenthes. The information on this site is based on my own experience growing these plants in Malaysia. Nepenthes are also known as Tropical Pitcher Plants, Monkey Cup or Periuk Kera in Bahasa Malaysia. If you have not heard about Pitcher Plants, they are known for their beautiful “pitchers” but it is their carnivorous nature that intrigues people.

Ever since I first read about these weird plants as a little boy, I’ve been intrigued by their carnivorous nature. I was hooked ever since I acquired my first pitcher plant, N. maxima x (northania x maxima). I had my fair share of plant torture and killings that have caused me a lot of heartache. Heartache in seeing the plant die and money going "down the drain." However, I must say that it is all worth it! I hope to share a little of my excitement here with you and hope that you will catch the pitcher plant "bug" if you are not already "hooked". Hopefully, I will be able to share some of my personal experiences with you as well as experiences from other growers, so that you don’t have to "murder" your plants due to lack of knowledge like I used to.

N. maxima x
(northania x maxima)

What are Pitcher Plants or Nepenthes?

Pitcher Plants are carnivorous plants that are native to the tropical forest vegetation of South East Asia. "Carnivorous" here means they actively lure, capture, kill and digest insects to obtain nutrients for growth and survival. They are the distant relative of the famous Venus Fly Trap (Dionaea muscipula) and other carnivorous plants such as Sundew (Drosera), Byblis, Pinguicula, Sarracenia (American Pitcher Plant), Heliamphora, Ultricularia and Cephalotus.

How do they capture insects?

Pitcher Plants capture insects by producing traps that are formed into a shape of a jug or “pitcher”. These pitchers are an extension from its leaves. Insects are attracted to the pitchers by a combination of scent, colour and nectar. The walls around the opening of the pitcher (peristome) are slippery.

N. bicalcarata, Marudi

Occasionally, a greedy insect slips and falls into the pitcher when it tries to reach the lower part of the peristome where there is the most nectar. Once an insect falls in, the waxy substance and tiny downward pointing hairs (they’re almost invisible to the eye) on the inside pitcher walls prevents the insect from climbing out. The fluid in the pitcher has a wetting agent that suffocates and drowns the insect within seconds. The slightly acidic fluid together with enzymes produced by the plant slowly breaks down the insect body within a period of a few days to a week depending on the size of the insect. This process releases nutrients back into the pitcher fluid. The pitcher, then, reabsorbs the nutrient rich fluid to help in growth.

N. veitchii