Some Rare and Semi-Rare Plants

Aldrovanda vesiculosa

My instagram followers will recognize these photos, but I thought I'd reshare them here since they feature some rarer plants in carnivorous plant collections. First up is Aldrovanda vesiculosa, an aquatic plant which is not too common in collections due to its fickle nature.

Aldrovanda vesiculosa

I've found that Aldrovanda does very well for me in the summer, but I'm still waiting to see what happens in winter. Our winters are so cold that I have little hope of it surviving. Still, I figured it would be worth an experiment.

Nepenthes alba

This species is a favorite of mine due to the white coloration of its upper pitchers. It is closely related to Nepenthes gracillima and, in cultivation, many plants are mislabeled. I've been told by growers with older plants than mine that the pitchers will start to turn their characteristic white color once the vine grows to about three feet tall.

Nepenthes ventricosa x madagascarensis

One of the plants that I'm very excited about is this Nepenthes ventricosa x madagascarensis which has just put out its first pitcher for me. This plant, a cutting from EP, must be from an upper portion of the vine as this pitcher is displaying characteristics of the upper pitcher of Nepenthes madagascarensis.

Nepenthes ventricosa x madagascarensis

This pitcher is, of course, in a difficult to photograph place, but I wanted to share a few photographs since it is such a spectacular plant. I did (just) finally find a pure Nepenthes madagascarensis and ordered one of those. My hope is that I will have great success growing that plant, too.

Nepenthes ramispina

I had to include this Nepenthes ramispina that I just received yesterday from Midtown Carnivores, even though it's not a particularly rare species. I was just so excited to see it that I had to include it.

Nepenthes spathulata x ventricosa

I also wanted to include this (common) Nepenthes spathulata x ventricosa becuase it is now producing pitchers that are about a foot tall! (And that's really impressive, I think).

Nepenthes stenophylla seedlings

Lastly, in the semi-rare plants category are some seedlings of what I was told was Nepenthes stenophylla. Only time will tell if they were correctly labeled. My hope is yes.

Drosera hilaris

Not all the rare plants in my collection are Nepenthes, of course, but most of the plants large enough to photograph are. The exception, at the moment, are these Drosera hilaris. These plants are growing back from the roots provided to me a few months ago. Currently, they are doing quite well, although they really do need a deeper pot than this one.