Nepenthaceae alata--'Monkey Cups'
 

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....

Nice big one, cool!

More pix of the orchids on the ficus!

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!

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

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 :blushing:

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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...