Expert: Sarracenia Northwest - 6/1/2010

Question
hi  i was wondering if nepenthes rafflesiana can be grown outside.
i live in pennsylvania,zone 6. its been a pretty warm summer so far staying in the 70`s to 80`s. at night i bring my miranda inside so i want to know if rafflesiana could be grown in the same conditions.

thanks, Chris

Answer
Hi Chris,

Nepenthes rafflesiana is a lowland plant, which means it prefers warm nights (above 70°F).  You can grow it outdoors in your region during the summer months since your nights are often quite warm.  You might have some minor leaf imperfection, but the plant will grow well for you during the summer.  With your Miranda, there's no reason to bring your plant indoors at night.  We grow this hybrid outdoors at our nursery in Oregon, and our summer nighttime temperatures often drop to the low 50s.  With both plants, bring them indoors when the night temperature consistently drops below 50.  

For more information about growing Nepenthes (and how to grow them outdoors), watch Volume 3 of the Grow Carnivorous Plants DVD series:
http://www.cobraplant.com/DVD

Good growing!
Jacob Farin