FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

I do not know what’s going on. I bought a Nepenthes ampullaria 'Harlequin' x spectabilis about 2.5 months ago. It’s inside the house under a grow light for about 14 hours/day. Humidity 55%. Can anyone offer advice here?

It may just be the natural aging and browning of older leaves. If the new growth is robust and green, then you are probably okay.

I’m wondering why the two new leaves coming out are pale white? They do not appear green at all.

Yeah that’s really odd. I’ve never seen anything like that. My best guess is that’s the natural color of the plant, even if it doesn’t really make sense for a plant to be entirely pale white because they would need chlorophyll.

Are you sure the leaves came out like that, and aren't fading?

It looks a bit to me like it's been burned somehow. Usually they lose one leaf at a time, maybe two on a larger plant, and don't get those brown blotches along the center of the leaf. The third oldest leaf looks warped, too. Could it have a pest?

It has gotten several new leaves that look exactly the same way as the original photo I posted. They have slight green coloration on the edges, but look to be pale and do have small pitchers at the end. It’s under the same light as my other Nepenthes which are thriving. I’m lost as to what would make it have pale leaves after having green leaves initially.

I almost wonder if it's some kind of color mutation. Maybe the color just doesn't show up until it gets to this age?
Where did you get it? Could you contact the grower and ask if they've seen anything like this?
It looks leucistic. Leucism is a genetic mutation, often mistaken for albinism, which presents as a lack of some but not all pigmentation.

Looks pretty strange, might be a disease? Chlorosis?

I agree that it could be some kind of color mutation. Perhaps something in it's genes caused it to spontaneously switch color. Otherwise it could be a disease.