Family: Lamiaceae
Common name: Pitcher plant, Common swamp pitcher-plant, Tropical pitcher plant
Pitcher plant is the common name given to a large number of carnivorous plants coming under the genus Nepenthes.
Nepenthes mirabilis or Common swamp pitcher plant is very widely distributed in many parts of the world growing in fancy botanical gardens, and also the most ignored hillsides and grasslands.
They are loved by gardeners for their unique pitchers and carnivorous feeding behavior.
Plant characteristics
These small plants only reach a height of 20-30 cm when growing without support on the ground. But when allowed to climb on supporting structures or surrounding vegetation they can grow several meters high.
Leaves are long, green with rounded tips and simple margins. They grow 15-25 cm in length, and are attached to the tendril that connect to the pitchers which are characteristic of this plant.
Leaves can have a reddish hue when growing in bright sunlight. Pitchers that give the plant its name, are a marvel to see – curvy, bulbous, beautiful structures that are formed at the ends of long tendrils.
Size varies from 8-15 cm in a range of colors like green, red, purple with markings along the body, lip of the pitcher, and the lid to attract insects that later become prey to the plant.
Pitcher plants product small cream or pale pink colors that are small but they grow in long inflorescences that are attractive to small insects and butterflies.
The plant is dioecious which means that male and female flowers are produced on different plants, the inflorescence being much longer on the male plants compared to the female plants.
Once they are pollinated, the flowers produce seed capsules that contain numerous tiny seeds that are about 1 mm in diameter.
Gardening tips
These plants thrive in warm, humid weather and filtered sunlight. Soil needs to be well-drained with a mix of moss, perlite and tree barks to make it as close to its natural habitat.
Water the plants regularly if they are grown in pots, and mist during summer months. The pots can be placed in trays filled with water and small pebbles to make them pretty, and also to keep the plant humid.
Outdoor plants will feed on small insects and bees that fall into the pitcher, but indoor plants can be fed small, dead insects every 2-3 weeks.
How the pitcher plant eats
The pitchers contain a fluid that has digestive enzymes that break down small prey, like insects that fall into them. The plant then absorbs nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus from the insect.
The lids of the pitcher plant do not close, but acts as an umbrella preventing rain water from falling into the pitcher and diluting the digestive juices.
It’s the slippery surface of the rim and the edges of the pitcher that prevent insects from escaping once they fall in.
These Pitcher plants have some medicines uses in the treatment of digestive disorders, constipation, urinary tract infections, etc.
Propagation is through seeds, stem cuttings, and also through tissue culture propagation.
Photographed at: Thrissur, Kerala. And Orchid garden, Singapore.
