Plants
Flask-shaped pitcher plant
Nepenthes ampullaria
ModerateClosed jar only
Round little pitchers carpeting the ground. Likes shade and warmth.
What the simulation uses
- Light
- 3,000 to 15,000 lux
- The brightness it grows well in.
- Humidity
- 70 to 95 % RH
- Air moisture it is happy in; below the lower end it dries out.
- Temperature
- 21 to 35 °C
- Comfortable range; outside it growth slows.
- Dies at
- below 12 or above 38 °C
- Days beyond these temperatures kill it.
- Soil pH
- 4 to 5.5 pH
- Soil acidity it prefers.
- Grows up
- 1.75 cm/month
- How fast it gains height in good conditions.
- Spreads
- 1.25 cm/month
- How fast its edge creeps outwards.
- Copes with wet
- fair
- How well it stands soggy soil; poor means rot comes quickly.
- Copes with still air
- good
- Sealed jars have still air; poor means grey mould finds it.
- Copes with shade
- good
- How well it holds on in dim light.
- Copes with drying
- poor
- How well it survives the jar drying out.
- Water use
- 0.07 ml/cm²/day
- Water drawn up from its roots per cm² of leaves in room air; a sealed jar cuts this to a fraction and returns it down the glass.
- Leaf drop
- 3 %/month
- Share of its leaves it sheds each month as litter for the cleanup crew.
- Soft leaves
- yes
- Soft new growth that hungry isopods will nibble.
- Full size
- 37.5 cm tall, 40 cm wide
- Its size when grown, before the lid stops it.
Care
- Day length
- 12 to 13 h
- Substrate
- Moist
What kills it
- tap water minerals
- garden soil or fertilised mix
- cold below ~15 C
- low humidity
Description
On lowland forest floors this pitcher plant forms carpets of small pitchers, each under 10 cm, that catch falling leaves. It wants warmth and constantly high humidity. A large closed tank suits it best.
Also called tropical pitcher plant.
Estimated, where sources were thin: light_lux; temp_lethal_c; growth rates; mature_size_cm; ph.