Nepenthes have been called the kings of carnivorous plants, although whilst they deserve the epithet for their beauty and grace, the name has also been associated with them being the most difficult of all carnivorous plants to grow. But, other than for a handful of the more than 100 species in this genus, nothing could be further from the truth.

As a boy, I grew my fair share of venus fly traps, sundews and sarracenias, and certainly killed off more than a few. I avoided trying Nepenthes for a long time because the books I had read said that they could not be grown without special conditions: a glasshouse, strict temperature controls and other requirements best left for those professionals with big budgets and plenty of space. But over the years, many of the myths surrounding these plants have been dispelled, and they continue to be dispelled to this day through experimentation. I have discovered, like others who preceded me, that many Nepenthes, particularly highland species, can be successfully grown outdoors in a temperate climate (like here in Sydney, Australia). I've been growing Nepenthes for about 15 years, but my collection was limited to a few species and hybrids that were readily available at the time. It wasn't until I really discovered the internet that my collection grew exponentially.

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The Species

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Nepenthes in Australia

Links

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Field Trips

Updates

I must pay particular gratitude to Nepenthes Around the House, a site created by a grower in California who has had remarkable results growing Nepenthes outdoors. For those willing to take risks, the rewards are often generous.

So please have a browse through my site. Your comments and suggestions are most welcome. As I get deluged with spam from the email address having been harvested from this page (and my apologies to those that have mailed me and I haven't replied, your mail probably got dumped with the spam), I've changed the address and removed the link. So if you want to send me a message, please do so to: feedback (at) nepenthesforeveryone.com

30 October 2005: I've started updating the site as pitchers are produced and I've got time to take pics. Unfortunately, half of my collection is still being housed in a friend's greenhouse, so I can't get pics of those plants until I have them in my hot little hands.