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The Queen of my collection, I feel so lucky to have finally tracked this one down. As easy to grow as she is beautiful, this plant is guaranteed to put a smile on your face!
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Truly a spectacular cultivar. September 2020
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THAT PERISTOME! It rolls back slightly more than this after 2 weeks of being open, but not that much more! September 2020
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Peristome finished rolling back after nearly 3 weeks! Still gorgeous! September 2020
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Although Nepenthes x tiveyi is a classic cross that was first hybridized in the Victorian Era, Nepenthes x tiveyi 'Red Queen' is a modern take on maxima x veitchii by Exotica Plants in Australia. Below is Harry James Veitch's description of the very first Nepenthes x tiveyi cross in his "An Abridged History of Nepenthes" in 1906. The cross was performed by the man himself, George Tivey, while working at Veitch Nurseries.
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"The next success was a superb cross from Nepenthes veitchii and N. curtisii, N. x tiveyi, named in compliment to the raiser. N. veitchii is one of the grandest Pitcher-plants in cultivation, remarkable for hairy pitchers and a curious gill-like peristome, and many of the best characteristics have been imparted to the hybrid, the most conspicuous the broad rim round the mouth, richly coloured a deep mahogany-red, which occasional transverse bars of a deeper shade. The pitchers, larger than those of N. veitchii, have much the same form, but are on finer lines."
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Again we see the mysterious "N. curtisii" referenced here. There is definitely some controversy over whether this original cross was performed with the real N. curtisii or with N. maxima. See the Nepenthes maxima page for the full story! Regardless, N. maxima x N. veitchii has been repeated again and again throughout the years with different forms of both species because of its reliably gorgeous results.
Opening up... gorgeous! September 2020
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Love the incredible coloration inside AND out! September 2020
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Light red speckles inside the leaves, a curious N. veitchii trait
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N. x tiveyi 'Red Queen' is aptly named. I love this plant so much that I almost worship it. I obtained mine as a rooted cutting from Sarracenia Northwest in June 2020. Sarracenia Northwest did the BEST packing job I have ever seen! Plant arrived potted and didn't have a single speck of damage, not even on the pitcher it came with! As soon as I opened it up I could tell this was going to be one of my favorite plants. I mean just look at the color and shape on that little pitcher! There was even a second growth point at the base of the cutting, but it hasn't actively grown since it arrived. Hopefully it grows out into a nice basal at some point.
The plant bulked up in size and grew lots of thick broad leaves with a slight wavy edge, very similar to my maxima. The leaves also have a wonderful soft copper colored fuzziness about them, thanks to its N. veitchii parent. If you zoom in really close, you can see some light red speckles on the leaves, almost like someone splattered paint in the inside of the leaf. I was worried that something was wrong until Dom at Redleaf Exotics said in one of his YouTube videos that this light red speckling on N. veitchii leaves is a sure way tell if an N. veitchii pitcher will have prominent striping on the peristome. An interesting trait that apparently shows itself very early in seedlings!
The plant bulked up in size and grew lots of thick broad leaves with a slight wavy edge, very similar to my maxima. The leaves also have a wonderful soft copper colored fuzziness about them, thanks to its N. veitchii parent. If you zoom in really close, you can see some light red speckles on the leaves, almost like someone splattered paint in the inside of the leaf. I was worried that something was wrong until Dom at Redleaf Exotics said in one of his YouTube videos that this light red speckling on N. veitchii leaves is a sure way tell if an N. veitchii pitcher will have prominent striping on the peristome. An interesting trait that apparently shows itself very early in seedlings!
Best packing job ever! Thanks Sarracenia Northwest! June 2020
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Gorgeous little pitcher! SO much color! June 2020
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Wow look at that jump in pitcher size! October 2020
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My 'Red Queen' grows vigorously on a south-facing windowsill. It is a very robust plant that seems almost too easy to grow for the incredible pitchers it produces. The jump in pitcher size from the pitcher it arrived with to the 8"+ monster it recently produced was insane! Truly a spectacular plant that deserved to be a part of every Nepenthes collection!
Interesting stalled basal shoot! Those tiny leaves haven't grown at all since June! Curious to see if growth will reactivate later. November 2020
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Already at least 3 times larger than it was in June! Love how vigorous this cross is! November 2020
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This plant won Nepenthes Pitcher of the Month for November 2020!
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I'm so happy to have won Nepenthes Pitcher of the Month for November 2020 (my birthday month!) It was a tough competition in the Man-made Hybrids Category, especially considering that I was running against mostly greenhouse-grown plants. Happy that there is a windowsill-grown Nepenthes winner!
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 fibered sphagnum 50% perlite/coco-chips
Fertilizer: MaxSea (1/4 tsp/gallon) every other week into pitchers
Additional Notes: An incredible cultivar that is way too easy to grow! Extremely rewarding!
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 fibered sphagnum 50% perlite/coco-chips
Fertilizer: MaxSea (1/4 tsp/gallon) every other week into pitchers
Additional Notes: An incredible cultivar that is way too easy to grow! Extremely rewarding!