Nepenthes Bloody Mary - Monkey Jars

Monkey Jars are officially known as Nepenthes. While you've probably never heard of this genus, you've undoubtedly heard of carnivorous plants. Well, that's exactly what Nepenthes is. These climbing plants grow in tropical rainforests like those found in Borneo. They can easily grow up to fifteen metres high. (Don't worry, you won't have to re-roof your house when you buy our Monkey Jars!)

These tropical plants can also be found in the Netherlands and are grown in hot and humid greenhouses around the country. Monkey Jars spend two years in a greenhouse before they are available in shops. They can easily survive and thrive in the average living room, especially if you give them a generous watering.

Nepenthes is originally from the tropical rainforest of Borneo and the surrounding area. It can rain very heavily there! That’s why I like having a lot of water and high air humidity. 

Watering

Keep the Nepenthes soil continually moist. This can be done by placing a waterfilled dish under the plant. It is a myth that the pitchers of the Nepenthes need to be refilled regularly. The plant does this on its own.

However, it is possible that the pitchers lose their moisture during transport. Larger plants are often transported with the pitchers upside down. In that case, the pitchers can be refilled once(!) to a quarter with rainwater to prevent the traps from drying out.

Location

In general, the Nepenthes needs a humid location. However, the Nepenthes Bloody Mary is a lot less picky and does well in almost every living room.

The plants do need light, but no direct full sun. We also recommend keeping the plant inside.

Fertilizer

We do not recommend to give these plants fertilizer. However, if no insects ever get into it, it can be supplemented with weak feed 1x in 2 months intervals during spring and summer only.