A gorgeous and vigorous form of ventricosa, I can't wait for the characteristic hourglass pitchers to start forming! AND it's a female!
I LOVE Nepenthes ventricosa. Like many people, ventricosa was my very first Nepenthes, one of those early ventricosa-red tissue-cultured commercial plants that you pick up at the hardware store. I got it when I was in 4th or 5th grade in school. To my surprise, I was able to grow this exotic-looking plant on my windowsill! In fact, I was able to grow it so well that I was able to take cuttings of it and sell it to my fellow classmates!

Sadly my original Nepenthes ventricosa perished when I moved to college, a fate that is shared by many treasured childhood plants. I tried to take it with me, but quickly realized that the harsh seasons in Eastern Washington would not allow windowsill growing like my easy Seattle window did. I donated my plant to the college greenhouse, but it was killed in a "freak accident" by a graduate student working in the greenhouse. Thankfully my other childhood Nepenthes, a Nepenthes spathulata, is still growing there and has apparently taken over a wall of the greenhouse!
From Todd's Tropicals Ebay Listing: "Nepenthes ventricosa is my favorite Nepenthes species and I grow several forms, from typical to Madja-As to two different 'porcelain' forms, as well as several different related species like burkei and sibuyanensis. Of all those, Nepenthes ventricosa (k) is my favorite. It was created as a cross between two different ventricosa forms by Geoff Mansell of Exotica Plants. It's an incredibly easy and vigorous grower, with large, colorful and extremely ventricose or waisted pitchers. Pitchers are produced in abundance and last a lonnnnggg time, giving you a plant that is dripping in pitchers."
I'm very excited to grow this striking form of Nepenthes ventricosa (K) from Exotica Plants! I received mine as a small cutting from Todd's Tropicals on Ebay. The plant was well packaged and sent potted! I put a top dressing of live sphagnum on the surface and placed it in my south-facing window. It's really starting to pick up and once it starts to produce pitchers, I will update this page! I do wish I had bag acclimated it when it arrived - I bet it would be producing pitchers by now if I had done so.

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: 100% long fibered sphagnum
Fertilizer: MaxSea (1/4 tsp/gallon) every other week onto leaves
Additional Notes: Recent arrival that is still acclimating! New pitchers are on the horizon though!
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