---
title: Flask-shaped pitcher plant in a terrarium | Glass Jar Garden
description: Flask-shaped pitcher plant (Nepenthes ampullaria): Round little pitchers carpeting the ground. Likes shade and warmth. Needs light 3,000 to 15,000 lux,...
url: https://glassjar.garden/guide/plants/nepenthes-ampullaria/
---

Plants

# Flask-shaped pitcher plant
Nepenthes ampullaria

Moderate · Closed 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.

## Sources

- [en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepenthes_ampullaria](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepenthes_ampullaria)
- [plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/nepenthes](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/nepenthes/)
- [carnivorousplants.org/grow/guides/Nepenthes](https://www.carnivorousplants.org/grow/guides/Nepenthes)

[Grow it in a jar](https://glassjar.garden/?guide=plants/nepenthes-ampullaria)

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