Nepenthes veitchii
“THERE AIN’T NOTHIN MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN NEPENTHES VEITCHII!”
Hey Humans, This is Domonick and I wanted to share my passion for my favorite plant, Nepenthes veitchii! Arguable one of the most spectacular of all species, Nepenthes veitchii is a sight to behold! Here’s a peer into why I love veitchii soooo much and why it’s my favorite plant at Redleaf Exotics! ENJOY!
ORIGIN
N. veitchii is endemic to a few locations across the island of Borneo. It’s a highly variable species in terms of coloration and body shape and there are both highland and lowland forms. The highland varieties from Bario seem to be more terrestrial, while some lowland forms clasp their leaves firmly around tree trunks and grow as epiphytes! This helps them climb high into the trees searching for prey!
IT ALL BEGAN…..
Growing into the hobby, I used to collect online images of my favorite Nepenthes. I would add them to this binder and look at them everyday! One day while surfing the web, I clicked on an image of Nepenthes veitchii. I saw this large, round pitcher with a huge flared peristome and endless stripes!! It was in the wild and laying against a tree and the image and angle was so captivating to me! OMG, I instantly knew that that was my favorite Nepenthes EVER! EVER!
I started looking for veitchii plants to add to my collection, but it proved difficult to find the ‘Ideal veitchii’, the one with the squat colorful pitchers and striped lip. Most were long bodied and had light color and minimal striping. It was hard to imagine what the small plants could grow into. 15 years ago this species wasn’t easy to find. As the hobby gained more interest, more started to appear in the commercial market via seed and tc. The collection grew!
GIVE THEM TIME TO SHINE!
Over the years, I’ve collected quite a few veitchii from Exotica Plants, private growers, and seed. The collection now consists of nearly 20 different forms of veitchii, most being the highland forms from Bario, Borneo! They really are my favorite!
As different variants mature, they transform so dramatically! Some of mine were green and didn’t have much color, others light pink with light striping. Once they grew to around 6 inches, every pitcher got better! Some of them started to get more color and stripes appeared! Pitchers that were elongate became more squat on some. The larger they grew, the more in love I became!
Upon maturity, every veitchii has such a pronounced peristome that I can stare at all day! Some reflex behind the pitcher more than others, but not all! I love the Bario forms that have broad peristomes, which make them appear even larger! They can also produce the best coloration amongst the species.
I‘ll tell you all about my squat ‘Candy Dreams’, but first let’s talk about (m)!
I got my first specimens from eBay and Exotica Plants. Years ago, EP released some seed grown plants labeled veitchii (k). Many of them showed promising traits, with the best showing a deep pink body and extremely striped peristomes. I still longed for the squat body!
Around 7 years ago, EP released their seed grown variant of the species labled (m). Every image they posted showed spherical bodies and some had intense stripes and deep color! These were to be the first commercial release of the squat forms. I imported a few and got a very nice one from Konrad Kutter @nepenthesjungle. The one I got from him was very squat, pink bodied, and had a unique peristome, with stripes! Check it out below!
NEPENTHES VEITCHII ‘CANDY DREAMS’. MY EVERYTHING!
It’s hard to type this and not stare at the images! Nepenthes veitchii ‘Candy Dreams’ is known as one of the most spectacular clones of the species in the world! I gave it the name myself and it’s very suiting! The deep red body and colorful, striped peristome are my DREAM come true and it does look like ribbon candy!
Originally from wild seed, I’ve had this in the collection for over 8 years now. It’s a Bario form and it loves cooler intermediate temperatures. When grown under ideal conditions this plant gets perfect coloration and form. The body is very spherical and covered in a copper indumentum! During the summer months, this one takes it time growing and washes out much quicker. I love watching it perform fall through spring! The leaves can even get a red midrib.
MY EXPERIENCE WITH GROWING NEPENTHES VEITCHII
Although some growers say they like it more dry, I keep them more on the moist side. I grow sphagnum as a top dressing and it loves moisture. What the moss get’s the Nepenthes get! They don’t seem to mind. Overall, this species is quite easy to grow and I find they love snug intermediate temperatures. Days ranging anywhere between 78-84F and nights in the 60F range seem to be fine for most of the specimens I grow. The Lowland forms grow well here too and the highland types produce great coloration! I keep all of the plants above 70% humidity at all times and they thrive! Veitchii’s hirsute leaves allow them to adjust to lower humidity levels as well. The light in the greenhouse is bright and indirect. I use 70% shade cloth in summer and they get almost full sun during the shorter winter days. Overall, easy breezy!
I CAN KEEP GOING ON AND ON…
This better stop here because I can go on and on, plus the plants are calling me! I hope your eyes and mind are satisfied! Check back often as I plan on writing more juicy stuff all about Nepenthes!
Thanks growers,
Domonick Gravine