Pitcher plants (Nepenthes) are not grown for their inflorescences, but for the eye-catching pitchers. The flowers develop shafts that can be between 15 and 100 centimeters long. The plant forms both male and female flowers.
The pitcher plant gets its name from the peculiar shape of the flowers
The heyday of the pitcher plant
The pitcher plant starts flowering as early as March. It can last until September.
The pitcher plant is dioecious. The male flowers can be recognized by their unfortunately foul smell. The pitcher plant attracts insects with the scent of feces in order to trap and digest them in the pitchers.
If the flowers are fertilized by insects or the gardener, seed pods form in the female flowers, in which up to 500 seeds can mature.
tips
Pitcher plants belong to the carnivorous plants (carnivores). However, it is not necessary to feed Nepenthes with insects, even in winter. The plant can feed itself through the substrate and through the leaves.