Thursday, December 31, 2009



Pitcher Plants (Nepenthes)

This picture was taken about two years ago. The plant is now much more well established and has gotten to the point it will have to be cut back, as it's almost out of control. So Mam and I are looking forward to some cuttings to try and propagate.

Across the street from us, exists a little commune of sorts, with five families sharing a plot of land just a tad over a half acre. The old lady is the village shaman of sorts and I call her the "Witch Doctor" as she piddles around with herbal medications for many different ills, and makes her own concoctions.


Klong Tong Nรปea Village Shaman The "Witch Doctor"

The witch doctor's house is surrounded by a wonderland jungle full of twisted vines, hanging plants, many rare orchids, a waterfall and tiny stream, several rubber trees, pineapple, jackfruit, a small bamboo stand with huge, ancient bamboo plants ten to twelve inches in girth, and many other exotic, rare plants growing out of pots, decomposed logs, coconut husks, and other handmade containers. I love walking around and looking at the various plants. Inside her house, in contrast, is a less pleasant jungle of haphazardly dumped papers and knickknacks, that boggles the mind.

She is an expert in plant propagation, and has several tools of the trade she carries with her to take cuttings of plants she wants, or to graft trees. She spotted our sour orange tree, and carefully cut several sections of bark, dusted them with a white powder from her kit, bunched a rich compost around them and sealed them off with a plastic bag and wire ties. Several months later she returned and cut the branches off, removing the plastic bags and revealing a tangle of new roots for planting. A genius with plants, who is teaching Mam everything she knows.


These pitcher plants are of the genus Nepenthes. The old lady found them while foraging for plants deep in the jungle off a small stream, growing on the stream bank. She told Mam she carefully separated the plant off from the surrounding vegetation and removed it, taking several days for the process, as she says the plant is rather sensitive to trauma.

Two years ago she gave us a transplanted section she had propagated, but which wasn't doing to well. Mam and I both babied it for months, but it finally succumbed to some sort of disease and died.

Nepenthes is a genus of carnivorous plant that encompasses over 120 species, native to Indonesia, the Philippines, and South-East Asia.

This species of plant has three primary components: the lid, the rim, and the pitcher.

The purpose of the lid is to keep rain water from collecting in the pitcher, and the colorful rim functions as a lure to insects. The plant produces a syrupy liquid in the bottom of the pitcher that attracts, and drowns, potential prey. The walls are coated with a waxy substance, so when an insect slips inside it can’t escape, and the plant has ample time to digest its new meal.

Truly a very exotic, and interesting plant!

-Jeeem-

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-Jeeem-