Pitcher plant (Nepenthes lowii)

Product description

This rare carnivorous plant comes from the mountainous regions of Borneo. It is an unusual species with 2 types of pitchers to get nutrients. The smaller pitchers lower down resemble those of other Nepenthes species and are made to catch and digest insects and other small animals. The upper pitchers, however, have a very different function. Instead of catching insects, they are designed as bird toilets! A white secretion forms on the lid that is nutritious and sweet, attracting birds to eat from it. The large, oval-shaped opening is large enough to catch the droppings of eating birds. In the narrower part at the bottom, those droppings are digested, making even the shape somewhat like a toilet. The droppings are an excellent source of nutrients due to their high nitrogen content. Although this species is a slow grower, the plant can reach a height of up to 10 metres in the tropics. This gives it plenty of room in the wild to attract passing birds. 

This Nepenthes is a highland species, which means it is best kept at a day temperature of 19-27grC and night temperature of 10-17grC. It is important to choose a food- and mineral-poor substrate with e.g. plenty of Sphagnum moss that is constantly moist. Provide plenty of daylight, but not too much direct sunlight. It is best to keep the humidity high and otherwise you can spray the plant with water regularly. As a houseplant, the pitchers may not catch enough insects or bird droppings, so it is often necessary to ‘feed’ the plant. This can be done with mosquitoes, flies or other insects. Special feeding tablets are also an option.

The species is named after Hugh Low, who discovered it on Mount Kinabalu in 1851. 

Sowing description: Sow the short-lived seeds on Sphagnum moss and spray with distilled or rainwater. Cover completely with foil or glass and place in a bright spot without direct sunlight at 26 to 30grC. Germination after a few weeks to months.