Expert: Sarracenia Northwest - 6/11/2011

Question
Dear Sir,
I bought earlier this spring a Nepenthes Highland Alata which had one trap at time of purchase. Although it seems healthy no traps develop at the end of the leaf although the spiral stem does. Is there something that I am not doing right or will they eventually develop as the season progresses? Thank you.  Ken

Answer
There are numerous factors why a Nepenthes fails to produce pitchers, but with only the information you provided, I don't know which factor would be most relevant to your particular situation.  To  pinpoint the cause and recommend an appropriate course of action, I'll need to know the type of lighting you're giving your plant, your watering regimen and the type of soil you have it in (especially if you purchased the plant bare root).  I need to know the specific care you're giving your plant.  

Given that you just purchased the plant, my only guess is that your plant needs more time to acclimate to its new growing conditions.  In some situations, it can take up to 6 months for a Nepenthes to acclimate.  We often receive Nepenthes from a grower in Hawaii, and those plants take 6-12 months before they produce pitchers for us.  So it might just be a matter of waiting out the acclimation period.

If after 6 months of growing your plant you are still not seeing new pitchers forming, please write back with more information about how you are caring for your plant.  Use the outline posted on the submission page as a guideline for the type of information we need.  

Good growing!
Jacob Farin