Nepenthes campanulata × ventricosa

Description

Nepenthes campanulata × ventricosa is a cross that pairs the graceful, bell-shaped pitchers of the rare N. campanulata with the extraordinary adaptability and robust constitution of N. ventricosa. The hybrid inherits the best of both parents — the unusual pitcher shape from campanulata and the forgiving care requirements from ventricosa.

🌿 About this plant

N. campanulata is a small-pitchered highland species from Borneo known for its perfectly cylindrical, narrowly cylindrical pitchers with an unusually small lid — giving each pitcher a distinctly bell-like profile. Pure campanulata is notoriously difficult to cultivate. This hybrid with ventricosa makes that beautiful form accessible to a much wider range of growers.

The pitchers on this hybrid maintain the narrow cylindrical form of campanulata while growing larger and with greater frequency than the pure species. Colouration is typically cream-green with red or maroon freckling on the peristome, intensifying with higher light.

A rewarding hybrid for the grower who wants an unusual pitcher shape without the extreme care demands of the parent species. Well-rooted, active specimen dispatched with 2+ pitchers.

✨ Why collectors choose it

• Narrow bell-shaped pitchers from campanulata, made growable by ventricosa
• Cream-green pitchers with red peristome freckling in bright light
• Thrives in Bangalore / Pune / Hyderabad without climate control

📊 Care at a glance

🌡️ Detailed care

• ☀️ Light: Bright indirect light, 4–6 hours minimum. Unlike pure campanulata, this hybrid tolerates a wider range of light conditions due to ventricosa influence.
• 💧 Water: Distilled or RO water. Keep medium evenly moist. Tray-watering works well. Do not allow to stand in water for extended periods.
• 🌫️ Humidity: 60–80% RH. The ventricosa influence makes this hybrid tolerant of lower humidity than many highland crosses — a real advantage in Indian growing conditions.
• 🌡️ Temperature: 20–30 °C. Intermediate — cooler than typical Indian lowlands but more heat-tolerant than pure highland species. Grows well in Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad, and similar intermediate-altitude Indian cities without temperature manipulation.
• 🪴 Medium: Long-fibre sphagnum or a 3:1 sphagnum-perlite mix. The roots prefer cool, airy, moist conditions — do not compact the medium.

🌱 Establishing your plant in India

• 🫧 Week 1: unbox immediately, sit the pot in a bright, shaded, humid spot and let the plant settle for 3–4 days before any repotting
• 🪴 Repotting: only if needed — use fresh long-fibre sphagnum or a sphagnum-perlite mix in a plastic pot with drainage; never garden soil or fertiliser
• 💦 Water: keep the medium damp with rain / RO / distilled water; a 5–10 mm tray of water is fine in hot weather
• 🌬️ Airflow: once acclimatised, avoid a permanently sealed box — moving air improves pitcher formation
• 🐜 Feeding: optional — a few small insects per month once pitchers are active; no fertiliser in the medium

📦 What you will receive

• 1 established, actively-growing plant — one clump per order (sold individually)
• Bag-incubated, then hardened to open-air growth before dispatch
• At least 1–2 live pitchers or forming pitchers at the time of packing
• Printed India-specific Nepenthes care card

🚚 Shipping & order policy

🇮🇳 Ships across India. Prepaid orders only — Cash on Delivery is disabled because carnivorous plants do not survive the darkness and dehydration of a return transit cycle. Orders are packed in batches alongside live lab work; typical processing time is 2–6 weeks depending on the plant and the season. We pause dispatch during peak monsoon (December–January). Every plant is a unique living specimen — the one you receive will vary slightly from the photographs.