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I need an expert advice on my new nepenthes plz! I went to Lowes today to buy a grow light for my current Ventrata and noticed that they stock up on new CPs. There was only one nepenthes and I first thought it was a Ventrata but it wasn't, so I bought it to save it. It looks healthy and has four full grown pitchers, but three of them are dying and the fourth pitcher is still young because the lid isn't open yet. What kind of nepenthes is it? I tried making sure the pics were good quality. For now, I'm acclimating it to the growlight with my Ventrata, and I have it repotted in sphagnum moss with coarse perlite and with orchid bark and charcoal on the bottom of the pot for proper drainage.

Was it in a cube? If so, I'll almost guarantee it's still a Ventrata at least based on my experience. All 3 of mine were from Lowe's cubes with green pitchers like that. In any event, you'll probably know before long since it appears pretty close to big enough to produce adult pitchers; I have 2 that size that have been making adults for months now. My third I got about that size a little over a year ago and it's somewhere between 1.5-2' around with multiple basals now.

NightRaider wrote: ↑Sun Dec 26, 2021 9:52 pm Was it in a cube? If so, I'll almost guarantee it's still a Ventrata at least based on my experience. All 3 of mine were from Lowe's cubes with green pitchers like that. In any event, you'll probably know before long since it appears pretty close to big enough to produce adult pitchers; I have 2 that size that have been making adults for months now. My third I got about that size a little over a year ago and it's somewhere between 1.5-2' around with multiple basals now.

It was in a cube, but I know for certain its not a Ventrata. I also did some research on what it looks and there's a chance it may be a Judith Finn.

septembersapphire21 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 26, 2021 11:52 pmIt was in a cube, but I know for certain its not a Ventrata. I also did some research on what it looks and there's a chance it may be a Judith Finn.

Hate to break it to you, but I can also pretty much guarantee it's either ventricosa or a ventrata, that's what they almost always only supply to the big box stores. The pitchers you're seeing now differ greatly from those that grow when the plant matures.
Plus, they (bugbitingplants.com) doesn't list N. "Judith Finn", N. veitchii x N. spathulata, as available, in or out of stock.

I did find it on a hidden page, but obviously it was marked out of stock. Interestingly, ventrata or ventricosa weren't even listed on their website either that I could find, so it's pretty obvious to me their website stock doesn't reflect what they sell commercially. In any event, there's probably really no way to ID with 100% certainty without adult pitchers (not the tiny green ones, my Vents had those too), but again I'll be extremely surprised if it's not Ventrata. Funny story though, my first Ventrata was labeled ventricosa on the box. The next one I found wasn't labeled at all, and I haven't seen a labeled one since.

Ventrata is there, just listed as ventricosa x alata.
Found the Judith Finn too, good looking plant, the baby pitchers look like ventricosa and about 10 other immature Neps.

ChefDean wrote: ↑Mon Dec 27, 2021 1:09 am

septembersapphire21 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 26, 2021 11:52 pmIt was in a cube, but I know for certain its not a Ventrata. I also did some research on what it looks and there's a chance it may be a Judith Finn.

Hate to break it to you, but I can also pretty much guarantee it's either ventricosa or a ventrata, that's all they supply to the big box stores. The pitchers you're seeing now differ greatly from those that grow when the plant matures.
Plus, they (bugbitingplants.com) doesn't list N. "Judith Finn", N. veitchii x N. spathulata, as available, in or out of stock.

If it's a Ventricosa or another Ventrata, then it won't matter to me anyway, I'm glad I'm saving another nepenthes. I know trying to identifying it right now is difficult because it is a young plant, I think when it grows a bit in the spring I might be able to tell. I'm just going to call it a "mystery nepenthes" until it grows a bit to be identified.

Btw, knowing that bugbitingplants.com do only carry Ventricosas and Ventratas are informative. To me, I will remember that so I can easily recognize them when I see them in stores. Thank you for pointing that out!

I don't believe Ventrata ever have those wings (the two vertical lines of feather/hairy bits on the front of the pitcher) we see in the 4th picture. I've gotten Gayas and a possible Maxima before from Lowe's (both of which have wings on the pitchers) so it could be those as well - Gaya being more likely.

they do when they are little my ventrata has a basal offshoot with small pitchers with wings. they lose them once they more mature pitchers come in

I’m curious, when folks say they bought it to save it, do you mean because you do not want it to die in the store? Whenever I ask a store why they are not carrying something, they usually answer because it didn’t sell well.
I struggle with buying from big box stores because then they will stock up on the items, encouraging more of the things I am trying to save….
Thoughts?

At least as far as neps go it's really just an excuse to justify getting another on the cheap. OTOH, I have no problem admitting I grab interesting flytrap forms just because I want them. I've picked up a red and dente form that way and in hindsight regret passing on a couple I found once that had much larger traps than any other cube I've seen. Those few rarities at least do feel like a waste to just let die amidst the sea of typicals.

I agree with Dean and the others-- looks like a ventrata to me. I have yet to see any of my local stores actually carrying pure ventricosa.

Also, Supercazzola has a good point. Buying plants to "save" from the big box stores has a counterintuitive effect, as the stores don't care what reason you're buying the plant for as long as it sells and then they can stock more. Same issue with people buying unhealthy reptiles and amphibians from PetSmart and Petco to "save". However, buying a living reptile from an unsanitary breeder mill and a mass-propagated plant from HD have very little in common in terms of associated morality, so if you see a nice CP at Home Depot, go for it . I may or may not still occasionally pick up some cool purps if I see them in stock there...