Carnivorous Pitcher Plant

The Carnivorous Pitcher Plant (Nepenthes 'Suki') grows its own traps: each leaf extends a tendril that swells into a hanging pitcher filled with fluid that digests the insects it catches. A mature basket sits at around 0.5m tall and 0.6m across, with the pitchers dangling below. It is grown for the novelty and it delivers, but it holds firm opinions about water and humidity.

Why you'll love it

• Traps you can watch form. A tendril reaches out, thickens, then inflates into a lidded pitcher over a few weeks. Few houseplants are this interesting to watch.
• Built for a hanging basket. A climbing species, so the pitchers hang clear of the foliage instead of sitting in it. Raised to eye level it finally shows properly.
• It likes the heat. Warmth and humidity are exactly what it wants, so a steamy summer that punishes other indoor plants suits it.
• No feeding, by design. Fertiliser never goes near the mix, because the plant covers its own nutrition by catching insects.

Where it works best

Indoors. A bright bathroom or kitchen is the honest first choice anywhere south of the tropics, because those rooms hold humidity the rest of the house does not.

Pots and hanging baskets. Grow it in a basket so the pitchers hang free. Keep the mix open and low in nutrients, and never stand the pot in stale water.

Balconies and courtyards. In tropical and subtropical gardens it lives outside year round in a sheltered, shaded spot. In cooler regions treat it as a summer visitor that returns under cover before the first cold night.

Growing the carnivorous pitcher plant in Australia

Position and climate. Bright indirect light and constant warmth, never harsh sun through glass. It is frost tender, so outdoor growing is realistic only in the tropical far north and along the warm subtropical coast. Elsewhere it lives indoors or under cover, coming inside once nights drop below about 12 degrees.

Mix and humidity. Use a free draining carnivorous mix of sphagnum moss, perlite and bark. Ordinary potting mix will kill it, because the fertiliser burns the roots. Sit the basket above a tray of wet pebbles or run a humidifier: low humidity is the most common reason a healthy plant stops making pitchers.

Water. Rainwater or distilled water only. Minerals in most tap water accumulate in the mix and slowly poison the roots. Keep the medium damp without letting it sit sodden.

Feeding and pruning. Do not fertilise. One insect a month dropped into a pitcher is plenty indoors, and nothing is needed if it catches for itself. Trim pitchers and leaves as they brown.

What to expect when it arrives

This one is sold as tubestock: a young plant with a handful of leaves, often carrying small pitchers or tendrils still forming rather than a basket of mature traps. Growing it on into a hanging basket is part of the point, and it establishes quickly in warm conditions, though it is a moderate grower.

Expect it to sulk briefly after transit and to pause on pitcher production while it adjusts, so give it four to six weeks. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Keeping indoor plants alive through the seasons
• Browse the full indoor plant range
• See other exotic and rare plants
• Indoor growing basics for beginners

Common questions

Why has my plant stopped making pitchers?

Almost always humidity, occasionally light. Pitchers form on new leaves, so in dry indoor air the tendrils shrivel before they inflate. Raise the humidity and the next flush will trap again.

Can I use tap water?

No, and this is the mistake that kills most of them. Rainwater or distilled water only, because tap water minerals build up in the mix and damage the roots.

Will it survive outdoors in my garden?

Only in tropical and subtropical areas, in shade and shelter. In temperate and cool regions it must live indoors or under cover, with a summer spell outside at most.