Do you, like many other people, possess a green thumb? Do you also happen to have an issue pertaining to pests, especially those of the bug variety? If you answered yes to both of these questions, you may take interest in the pitcher plant.
Tropical Pitcher Plants are a group of vibrant climbing plants primarily characterized by their colorful “pitchers,” which are used to catch bugs. They come in many varying shapes and sizes, but the most common specimen of pitcher plant is Nepenthes Alata, which possesses long flowy leaves with green red-speckled pitchers, which end up long and slender at larger sizes.
Like all carnivorous plant varieties, Tropical Pitcher Plants are somewhat picky when it comes to potting and care. They originate from warmer climates in the East, and they usually grow in areas with low-nutrient soil. So in order for you to grow a healthy pitcher plant, you should grow it in either sphagnum moss or peat moss, and the pot itself should have good drainage.
Also necessary for pitcher plants is that they be watered with distilled water or rain water, since they will die if watered with tap water or filtered water (NOTE: Do not water inside of the “pitchers,” water only into the soil as water within the “pitcher” will cause infection). It’s also worth mentioning that the above information regarding potting and care pertains to most other carnivorous plants as well, such as Venus Flytraps and Sundew plants.
As mentioned previously, Tropical Pitcher Plants originate from, well, tropical environments. That being said, they thrive exceptionally well at normal house temperatures, so long as your house is in a livable condition (which it should hopefully be in). They also prefer having air movement, as to not grow mold, so maybe it’d be worth it to place your organic vat of acid in the way of a fan or open window.
Important to specify: Tropical Pitcher Plants belong to a different genus than that of American Pitcher plants, which can similarly be found in varying shapes and sizes across the bogs and swamps of the USA.
Tropical Pitcher Plants are inherently odd, but that’s part of their allure. Tell me another plant species that can be described as a collection of acid vats held together by a series of leaves and vines. Of all the perplexing organisms that reside in this glorious planet of ours, Tropical Pitcher Plants, along with others of their ilk, deserve your time and attention the most.
