re: Heliamphora cultivation
BMEvans (B.M.Evans@exeter.ac.uk)
Fri, 24 May 1996 12:47:50 PDT
I have never grown heliamphora here in England, but I have seen H.Nutans and other unidentified species growing wild
in Venezuela. I thought you might like to know their favoured conditions:
The altitude on Mount Roraima was nearly 10,000 ft. and latitude 1degree north. This close to the equator the sun is
very strong and the altitude would allow lots of UV. But the summit is very often cloud covered producing an intense
white light. I don't know the rainfall, but it's reputed to be one of the world's wettest places, so the humidity is usually
90 -100 percent. Day temperature can change from about 20 degrees in cloud to 35 degrees or more in full sun and this
can happen in a few minutes. The rock is covered with black algae and so gets very hot. Night temperature was about
15 degrees. The soil is mostly coarse sand, pH unknown but it must be quite acid. The Heliamphora mostly grew in
large cracks and close to boulders where they had a little protection.
The reason I have not tried to grow Heliamphora is because I don't think I could duplicate these conditions!
Good luck.
Brian Evans