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localoca_gw

Cold Tolerant Nepenthes?

localoca
14 years ago

Hi, I'm trying to collect cold tolerant tropical plant and would like to add a nepenthes. Are there any that can take 30s F temperature? It usually NEVER gets that cold here but mostly 40s.

Any tips greatly appreciated!

Comments (13)

  • tropichris
    14 years ago

    sorry to tell you this but nepenthes are tropical plants, and cant stand temperatures below probably...60oF. If you want a pitcher plant that can stand low temps., try a Sarracenia.

  • localoca
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Hi thanks for the reply! Im researching because I know the tropics have wide range of temperatures. Even in tropical forests, temperatures can get chilly depending on the altitude. So that is why I am wondering what nepenthes (if any) are more high altitude and potentially more cold tolerant.

    Again I'm just researching. I will say one thing though. Years ago people told me that orchids were tropical plants and should not go below 55-60 F. Well I now have a large collection of tropical orchids outdoors and they all grow and bloom!

    HOWEVER the orchid family is extremely large and I'm guessing nepenthes are not and are probably more limited in their environment range.

    Thanks!

  • alcran
    14 years ago

    Truncata, khasiana the true ventricosa, and any of the ultrahighlanders could take those temperature for a short time. However if the temperatures stay that low for more than a few hours at a time the plants probably will not do very well.

  • taz6122
    14 years ago

    N. klossii or N. treubiana will handle the temps fine. They are from high in the mountains of New Guinea where it snows.

    They may be difficult to find though. Check wistuba.com

  • alcran
    14 years ago

    Klossii isn't going to available any time soon unless you are willing to brave mines and ak-47s. The area is very dangerous. So far only one guy in Australia has one and made it public.

  • ltecato
    14 years ago

    I live a few miles south of LA near the ocean. I have a couple of neps in hanging baskets outside. One is a sanguinea seedling (or so I was told) and the other is a much larger plant, possibly an alata. Both made it through the winter OK. But, like I said, I live about a mile from the ocean and that probably keeps it warmer here in winter. Inland areas can get cold enough to freeze.

    All I'm saying is that they survived. The big plant has lost most of its pitchers since I bought it, and the smaller had a few for a while but does not have any now. Neither plant is anything to brag about right now, but hopefully I'll learn more about caring for them as I go along.

    By the way, Tropchris, LOTS of tropical plants can overwinter in LA just fine.

  • evil_garden_gnome
    14 years ago

    Hi,

    I'm just up the block from you in Long Beach / Carson & have been growing Neps & Carns for about 6 or 7 years now...

    Ventricosa & Alata will do the best for you out here without much care & can be grown outdoors...
    You might get some leaf "cold> burn during the winter if it gets real cold like it did this year "high 30s>, but they will bounce right back & start pitcher like crazy once it warms up...

    The problem with getting a highland or ultra-highland Sp. is that they can take the colder weather in the winter "but come on, it doesn't get that cold for that long in good ol sunny SoCal>, but they wont make it through the summer heat...

    I would say a Ventricosa or Alata would be your best bet if you're looking for one that wont take any special care to keep alive...

    I posted some pics of one of my Ventricosa for you "see link below> / Grown From a Cutting / First year in a greenhouse / Has been grown out doors for years...
    You can see the signs of cold burn on the leaves, but no big deal / You can see that it's starting to pitcher again & will keep pitchering till like mid December...

    In a few weeks it'll be covered in a ton a palm sized pichers & looking a lot nicer than it does now...

    Good Luck,
    E G G

    Here is a link that might be useful: Nep Ven Pics

  • tommyr_gw Zone 6
    14 years ago

    Nice plant EGG!

  • localoca
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    E G G thanks so much for the information! I will definitely get one! I already have an alata coming in the mail.

    Just one more question: what potting material do you use for it? THANK YOU!

  • evil_garden_gnome
    14 years ago

    You should have good luck with them, both seen to do really good out here...
    There are others that also do good, but they take a little more work...
    Ventricosa & Alata are both good ones to start with...

    "Just one more question: what potting material do you use for it?"

    That's a hard one / Ask 100 people & You'll probably get 100 different answers...

    I'm sure everyone agrees on Peat Moss, but after that it seems to be more or less personal preference on what to mix with the peat...
    Just make sure to get plain peat moss & not one that has anything added to it (like plant food)...
    You want the soil to be Nutrient Free & Well Drained...

    All my older Neps that haven't been repotted are growing in a mix of peat, perlite & vermiculite...
    Now I primarily use a mix of peat & chopped New Zealand sphagnum moss, a little perlite and/or vermiculite & orchid bark (small nuggets) as a soil mix & have just recently started adding a little volcanic rock (small/crushed ~ the type used for Bonsai) to the mix...
    Works For Me...

    Stay away from the green decorative sphagnum moss you find at most nurseries & hardware stores...
    Use New Zealand Moss or the kind they sell for orchids / It's more of a yellow/gold color than green...

    Most likely if you're ordering them on line they'll be shipped bareroot & will be in shock when you get them...
    Use plastic pots with good drain holes / Put a little gravel or moss in the bottom to cover the holes...
    Plant them / Give them a good watering with distilled water / Put something like a Zip-Lock bag over the pot & keep them where they will get light, but not to much direct light for the first few days till they recover from being up rooted & shipped & all that...
    After that they should do good in a nice bright window...
    The more sun they get, the better the color & the bigger the pitchers...

    One thing that I've noticed, at least with my friends that keep killing them, is that they take "High Humidity" as meaning "Keep The Soil Soaking Wet"...
    You want to keep the soil "Moist", but not constantly soaked, it will rot them / A good misting a few times a day will do...

    Good Luck With Them,
    E G G

  • taz6122
    14 years ago

    Most growers I know use a mix of sphagnum,silica sand and orchid bark.
    As stated above I agree that in LA.CA. you don't need a plant that can withstand the low temps as they will not survive the high ones but hey, you asked!

  • petiolaris
    14 years ago

    Pine needles and perlite are also used. One Canadian hobbyists swears by pine needles for impeding disease and helping growth.

  • corymbosa
    14 years ago

    My temps get down to 32F for a few hours during the winter nights. I'm not really into Neps so there are likely to be other species that also handle such low temperatures but
    khasiana, maxima, ventricosa, tobaica, sanguinea and alata grow and pitcher well for me without heat in a solid roofed shadehouse. I have several maxima, ventricosa, tobaica and alata hybrids using both highland and lowland parents and they also handle the cold very well. So long as you protect them from frost these will be fine. Regarding truncata, there are lowland and highland forms. I haven't tried the highland form but the more commonly available lowlanders won't take those temperatures well.

    Beware of ultrahighlnd species. They may handle your minimum temperatures but they are also likely to suffer during you maximum temps unless you can keep them cool.

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