|
A vastly underrated species! Nepenthes sanguinea have elegant pitchers that seem to glow from the inside. They come in many different colors!
|
Glowing, elegant pitchers. September 2020
|
Very compact grower! Leaves turn bronzy in good light. September 2020
|
Nepenthes sanguinea was among the first Nepenthes introduced to cultivation in 1847 by Veitch Nurseries during the Victorian Age of cultivation. Harry Veitch mentions it only in passing in his 1906 "An Abridged History of Nepenthes", remarking only that N. sanguinea's "richness in color" was rivaled only by the recently discovered N. madagascariensis. Despite being constantly overlooked, both back then and in modern cultivation, I really love how N. sanguinea's pitchers seem to glow. I am always greeted by their gorgeous reflected light when I look into my terrarium! There are many color varieties of N. sanguinea, ranging from yellows and oranges to dark reds and purplish black!
Love the colors on these pitchers! October 2020
|
My African mantis loves drinking the nectar off the lids! November 2020
|
My N. sanguinea 'Orange' was generously donated to my classroom by California Carnivores sometime in the Summer of 2017 (ah, simpler times right before I became a full time high school teacher!). N. sanguinea is a remarkably hardy pure species that not only survived the less than ideal conditions in the classroom terrarium, but positively thrived. I strategically placed my Nepenthes terrarium next to the microwave so that hungry and bored teenagers would chance to look into it while waiting for their lunch to finish cooking. This plant was frequently remarked upon as having larger-than-average pitchers and eye-catchingly bright orange colors. I will never forget one fateful day when, during a class discussion on predator-prey relationships, one of my students yelled that an earwig was crawling next to his prized "Jordans" (shoes). Mid-lecture, I scooped up the interfering insect with a piece of paper and dropped it conveniently into an open N. sanguinea pitcher. Questions about how the plant would kill and digest the insect were immediately followed with accusations that I had planted the earwig as a demonstration ahead of time! It is ALWAYS fun to have killer plants in the classroom!
Moved to the living room windowsill and looks amazing! October 2020
Current Growing Conditions: South-Facing Living Room Window
Light: ~260 - 460 PPFD or 16530 - 20110 Lux (depends on the weather outside)
Humidity: ~80% night and 55% day
Temperature: ~68F night and 90F day (depends on weather outside)
Water: Moist but not wet
Potting Mix: 50% long fibred sphagnum 50% perlite and coco-chips
Fertilizer: MaxSea (1/4 tsp/gallon) every other week into pitchers
Additional Notes: Glowing orange and green pitchers! Very compact grower and pitchers readily in most conditions!
Light: ~260 - 460 PPFD or 16530 - 20110 Lux (depends on the weather outside)
Humidity: ~80% night and 55% day
Temperature: ~68F night and 90F day (depends on weather outside)
Water: Moist but not wet
Potting Mix: 50% long fibred sphagnum 50% perlite and coco-chips
Fertilizer: MaxSea (1/4 tsp/gallon) every other week into pitchers
Additional Notes: Glowing orange and green pitchers! Very compact grower and pitchers readily in most conditions!