Nepenthes ventricosa

Nepenthes ventricosa is a variable species, easy to grow in a windowsill or terrarium, and an ideal beginner’s Nepenthes. It’s an intermediate-to-highland species growing around 2000 meters above sea level in the Philippines. Generally, highland species prefer daytime temperatures  in the 70s°F (24°C) and evening temperature drops into the 50s and 60s°F (10-16C) (do avoid frost as it will damage or kill highland plants). N. ventricosa, however, is a pretty forgiving plant and will do well even with milder temperature swings.

Nepenthes ventricosa remains fairly compact, with narrow, shorter leaves, medium-length tendrils, and plump, meaty pitchers. Stems branch and scramble, and frequently sprout basal shoots. All of these factors eventually adds up to a small carnivorous bush, dozens of pitchers, and one heck of a display.

Unique biology of a Nepenthes ventricosa

Trap characteristics

Nepenthes ventricosa pitchers look like they have beer bellies. They’re bulbous with a rounded digestive lower half, a tapered (read: sucked in) waste, and a large, oval mouth. This mouth is lined with a gorgeous, tightly ridged, pink-to-red peristome. Pitcher wings are noticeably missing on plants larger than seedlings, which plays further into the bare beer belly analogy (just needs a little belly button drawn on it).

Nepenthes ventricosa is quite variable when it comes to pitcher structure and coloration. The lower pitchers, as described above, can be a pink hue with red splotches, green with pink splotches, or variations in-between. Some, like N. ventricosa “porcelain” are an attractive shade of white. Pitcher size varies from around 4 inches (10.5 cm) up to 9 inches (23 cm).

Other notable characteristics

Obviously, Nepenthes ventricosa got sick of us pointing out its gut, so it hit the gym in an effort to impress us with dainty upper pitchers. Upper pitchers are usually green-yellow, smaller, and more slender. Good job, ventricosa. Good job.

Petioles on this species are medium-length, slender, and terminate in tendrils up to a foot long. Flowers are densely-packed, and colorful.

In the wild, Nepenthes ventricosa naturally hybridizes with N. alata to produce N. ventrata (clever name, eh?). This is one of the most common Nepenthes circulated in cultivation and, arguably, even heartier than N. ventricosa itself.

Other Nepenthes species, varieties & hybrids