Use and Care Guide

tipped with tendrils that form a colorful pitcher at the end. In the wild the tendrils will wrap around a
tree branch to prevent the pitcher from spilling its fluids. Tropical Pitcher plants can produce pitchers
large enough to hold several quarts of fluid.
Nepenthes are either male, which produce the pollen, or female, which only produce only the pistil.
Most nepenthes are produced through cuttings or tissue culture. All of our nepenthes are artificially
propagated through tissue culture.
How to keep your Tropical Pitcher Plant healthy
Location: Nepenthes require an area with as much humidity as possible. A terrarium is ideal. Select
an area that has bright indirect light. Morning sun is usually OK, check for marginal burning caused by
too much heat. Growing under Grow-Lux lamps is fine for 16 to 18 hours per day. The ideal
temperature is between 60F and 85F.
Watering: Tropical Pitcher plants should not be allowed completely dry out! For best results use
distilled water or rain water. Tap water with low salt content is acceptable provided water is allowed to
stand overnight, to remove the chlorine.
Feeding: Nepenthes feed on all insects, tree frogs, and small rodents. Fertilizing with a 20-20-20 1/4
strength solution once a month is recommend where insects are in short supply.
Transplanting: You can transplant your Nepenthes with sphagnum moss, or a peat moss and sand
mixture. You should transplant every two years, during any season.
Butterwort
(Pinguicula)
The Butterwort is a carnivorous plant belonging to the Lentibulariaceae family. There are
over 35 species of Pinguicula, of which nine are native to the United States. It's name,
Pinguicula, is derived from the Latin word “pinguis” which means fat, referring to the
“greasy” feel of the leaves. The Butterwort produces a glandular fluid on the leaves to
attract, catch, and digest small insects. The leaves will slightly curl so that the fluid will
pool around its victim.
During the 19th century, Butterworts were often used to control aphids in greenhouses before the
advent of chemical controls. The butterwort generally starts flowering in the spring and early summer
months. They produce yellow (P. lutea) or purple (P. vulgaris) flowers
How to keep your Butterwort healthy
Location: A terrarium environment is best. Select an area that has bright indirect light. Morning sun is
usually OK. Avoid humidity robbing drafts from heater and air conditioners. The ideal day temperature
is between 65 to 85 degrees.