FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hey there! I just rescued a nepenthes (I think alata) from someone that didn't have where to keep it anymore. It's about 2 meters if I hang it from somewhere. I wanted to ask if the stems are dead, because 2 of the 3 big stems are dried up from the substrate as you can see in the pictures. There are alos 2 new plants in the pot that seem to be doing good. Right now I don't have time to check the roots but I will look at it tomorrow. From my knowledge those stems shouldn't be dead as I've seen nepenthes in stores looking the same and still growing but I want to be sure.

Nope, nothing to worry about, actually, it’s looking really healthy! The woody stem from the base up is completely normal. This is one of my neps and the pitcher it just popped actually. I hear you just rescued it from a friend? That substrate looks like peat/perlite. Peat isn’t so good for neps because it’s too compact and retains too much water. Your plant looks really fine though so I wouldn’t worry too much. Also make sure you’re watering it with rain/distilled water. (Basically any water below 50 ppm)

Yes, your plant is fine. If it starts to decline (and you are still following general CP rules: distilled water, high light, etc.) I would repot it into long-fibered sphagnum moss. If it keeps growing fine, just leave it. One more thing, that plant isn't Nepenthes alata. It is a hybrid called N. x ventrata, which is a hybrid of N. ventricosa and alata.

Thank you guys for the fast replies. I'm so glad that it's healthy and that it's normal to look a bit woody. I am planning to change the substrate into spagnum moss these following days but i'll look at the roots first and decide afterwards. Of course it's getting distilled water and as much sun as I can give it in December.

Also thanks a lot for the id. The juvenile pitchers that it has look a lot like an alata but it might also be that the photos I see online are wrong. I got really lucky to find it because it was a guy on a carnivorous plant fb group that said he wants to give it away

Yeah alata is much harder to find and actually pretty rare. While they do look similar, they are definitely not the same.