Nepenthaceae alata--'Monkey Cups'

[cjm3fl]

I've never had a big interest in carnivorous plants.
But sometimes you see something and you just want to add it to your collection.
I read one site that says it's a great plant to grow with/around orchids (super, double bonus, plus)!

I was out visiting a newly located, private orchid grower.
Lovely lady who insists I come back to visit and stroll threw her orchids anytime.

Well, she had this "plant" that caught my eye from a long distance. I've seen this plant before but only in pictures or online.

She made me a deal I couldn't refuse and I brought home my first H. alata, commonly called 'Monkey Cups'.

Spent some time online checking out it's needs and requirements.
Seems the light, temps, and humidity that I have around here meet this tropical plant's needs pretty well.

A pair of quick pics....

[wintergirl]

Nice big one, cool!

[estación seca]

More pix of the orchids on the ficus!

[cjm3fl]

Originally Posted by estación seca

More pix of the orchids on the ficus!

Only one blooming right now..pics coming.

But I did promise a thread about my "Orchid Tree" (see what I did there..word twisting, moving brain cells around, humorous pun...ehm, ya. More coffee/less meds--or the other way around).

I'm close to re-potting that Ficus and moving it off the car-port (a move of about 5 or 6 feet), and give it it's annual Spring Trimming.


I can do this.
"Orchid Tree" discussion.
Present, past, and as the future develops.

[Whimgrinder]

Originally Posted by cjm3fl

I've never had a big interest in carnivorous plants.
But sometimes you see something and you just want to add it to your collection.
I read one site that says it's a great plant to grow with/around orchids (super, double bonus, plus)!

I was out visiting a newly located, private orchid grower.
Lovely lady who insists I come back to visit and stroll threw her orchids anytime.

Well, she had this "plant" that caught my eye from a long distance. I've seen this plant before but only in pictures or online.

She made me a deal I couldn't refuse and I brought home my first H. alata, commonly called 'Monkey Cups'.

Spent some time online checking out it's needs and requirements.
Seems the light, temps, and humidity that I have around here meet this tropical plant's needs pretty well.

A pair of quick pics....

Very nice plant, but its not actually the species N. alata, its a primary hybrid called N. Ventrata. Its care is the same as for alata, though. Very easy plant to care for. Enjoy!

[cjm3fl]

Originally Posted by Whimgrinder

Very nice plant, but its not actually the species N. alata, its a primary hybrid called N. Ventrata. Its care is the same as for alata, though. Very easy plant to care for. Enjoy!

Thank you, Whimgrinder!
The lovely woman I got this from is a native of Thailand and I was having some communication issues...because my hearing isn't what it used to be either

I did my own internet ID search, and N.alata is what I thought mine looked like.
I really appreciate the actuate ID.
Glad to know that needs and care are the same.

Originally Posted by SFLguy

ventrata is a very sturdy hybrid, you'll do well with it as long as you've got good water

Yeah, well that's a minor issue.
Florida has notoriously hard water and my tiny community treats it's own supply, i.e.: a crap load of chemicals besides that hardness.

The soil was good and moist when I got it home.
I'll get some distilled water when I go out today.

[Whimgrinder]

Originally Posted by cjm3fl

Thank you, Whimgrinder!
The lovely woman I got this from is a native of Thailand and I was having some communication issues...because my hearing isn't what it used to be either

I did my own internet ID search, and N.alata is what I thought mine looked like.
I really appreciate the actuate ID.
Glad to know that needs and care are the same.

95% of the photos of "N. alata" you find on the Web are inaccurate: they almost always show N. Ventrata, since the majority of plants out there are Ventrata, erroneously labeled as alata. The mistake has been propagated thousands of times.

[SFLguy]

ventrata is a very sturdy hybrid, you'll do well with it as long as you've got good water

[SFLguy]

And the majority of the remaining 5% are pictures of N. graciliflora

[cjm3fl]

I'll get a picture soon, but there's a new baby plant growing.
I know there wasn't one when I got it home.

Seems like it's fairly fast grower on new plants.
It's bigger this morning then when I noticed it yesterday afternoon.


Update, with pics, soon...