re: Which are the hardiest nepenthes?

From: paco villalonga (fvillalonga@correo.economistas.org)
Date: Tue Aug 22 2000 - 08:45:07 PDT 

Date: Tue, 22 Aug 2000 17:45:07 +0200
From: paco villalonga <fvillalonga@correo.economistas.org>
To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com
Message-Id: <aabcdefg2580$foo@default>
Subject: re: Which are the hardiest nepenthes?

Hi all,

Andy wrote :
>>
>I'm planning to try and grow some nepenthes in an unheated
>glasshouse. The climate here is mild with occasional winter lows
>of 4C.

        I think most highlanders will survive 4C, specially if protected
from above (no ice on the leaves on chilly mornings).

>Humidity in the glasshouse may get low.

How low?, that could be a more serious problem than temperature.

>I'd like to get folks views on which nepenthes are the hardiest. I
>think that khasiana and ventricosa are probably the hardiest, but
>what others can take rough treatment?

Last winter I had my highland neps outside for most of the winter. It
was a cold winter for us, no record temperatures but many weeks with
lows just above freezing (1 to 4 C). My plants were not properly
protected from above and every morning they had some ice on the leaves.
Here were the results of the "experiment" (kids, don't try this at home
:) ), please take in consideration that these were small seedling, 5
months old, recovering from two rat atacks. Adult plants should be more
resistant.

Results:

         Khasiana------ no damage
         Vieillardii------ no damage
         Maxima------- damage on upper leaves, lower leaves protected by
upper leaves mostly unafected (resisted temperature but not the ice)
         Ventricosa x Xiphioides ---- damaged on most of leaves, some
under leaves survived
         Ventricosa------ some damage, not much, just sides of upper
leaves afected
         Sanguinea-------completily fried, died

         All plants stoped growing when it got colder and sprouted like
crazy in the spring, khasiana seems like it had a good time.

         Plants like Villosa, Vieillardii and some forms of Maxima
experience frost in their habitat. Other highlanders like Rajah, Lowii
and Macrophilla are probably hardy too but ask the experts.

>And hybrids would be another matter again...
>thanks for any thoughts
>Andy
>Wellington, New Zealand

Good luck,

             Paco Villalonga
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