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Brand new to cultivation, this gorgeous species is reminiscent of northiana, but appears to be much darker and more tolerant of cooler conditions!
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So tiny! December 2020
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Nepenthes mapuluensis in situ, taken during the Redfern expedition!
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I am so excited for this species! Hannah and Dalton of Pearl River Exotics were involved in the rediscovery of this species on a Redfern Adventures "Lost Nepenthes Expedition" in 2019 and introducing it into tissue culture. The expedition found new populations of mapuluensis on very remote peaks of Borneo, where the plants were found to obtain impressive sizes (up to 24 cm!) that rival rajah and truncata for the largest known pitchers! Although the large slanted mouth and oval pitcher shape are reminiscent of northiana, this species is found at 600m above sea level in the limestone mountains of East Kalimantan, often in the crevices of cliffs where organic material builds up. An added bonus is the very dark purple coloration!
I was very lucky to obtain one of their very first tissue culture releases of this plant! (I actually missed the inventory update, but they also forgot to list it on their website - I happened to see the mistake on Instagram and dashed over to the store, where it was still available!) I was very nervous purchasing it during the holiday season - shipping delays compounded by COVID19 has turned shipping plants through the mail into a lottery of sorts. However, the package was only in transit for 5 days, and although it arrived quite chilly, it should recover!
February 2021
Really settling in!! Pitcher still tiny compared to leaves though.
Had to do some experimenting to get the lighting for this plant right. It seems to be a little sensitive to high light and turns a very very dark purple when over exposed. Hoping that the pitcher to leaf ratio gets better over time!
Current Growing Conditions: Warm Intermediate Terrarium
Light: ~170 PPFD or 9730 Lux under 4000K LED shoplights
Humidity: ~90% night and 67% day
Temperature: ~68F night and 85F day
Water: Moist but not wet
Potting Mix: 50% long fibered sphagnum 50% perlite
Fertilizer: MaxSea (1/4 tsp/gallon) every other week into pitchers
Additional Notes: Can't wait for this to acclimate and start GROWING!
Light: ~170 PPFD or 9730 Lux under 4000K LED shoplights
Humidity: ~90% night and 67% day
Temperature: ~68F night and 85F day
Water: Moist but not wet
Potting Mix: 50% long fibered sphagnum 50% perlite
Fertilizer: MaxSea (1/4 tsp/gallon) every other week into pitchers
Additional Notes: Can't wait for this to acclimate and start GROWING!