Monkey Cups (Nepenthes) Care Guide

Nepenthes, commonly known as Monkey Cups, are tropical carnivorous plants famous for their beautiful hanging pitchers. These pitchers act like tiny insect traps, making them both fascinating to watch and incredibly decorative.

Unlike many other carnivorous plants, Nepenthes prefer bright filtered light and slightly different watering conditions, but once you understand their needs they are surprisingly rewarding plants to grow.

Light Requirements

The MOST Important Part!

Nepenthes enjoy bright, filtered light rather than full, direct sun.

Most varieties grow best in bright, diffused light with a little gentle morning or late afternoon sun. Strong midday or afternoon sun can scorch the leaves and damage the pitchers.

Ideal locations include:
• A bright windowsill with morning or late afternoon sun
• A shaded patio or verandah
• A shade house with 40–50% shade cloth

If the plant receives enough light, it will produce strong growth and beautiful pitchers.

Acclimatization

Adjusting to their New Home.

When your Nepenthes arrives, it has usually been through a bit of stress during shipping.

For the first week, place it in bright, dappled light or gentle morning sun before moving it to its final growing spot.

It’s quite normal for some pitchers to begin browning from the top down during this adjustment period. You can trim these off as they fade to keep the plant looking tidy. Once the plant settles in, it will begin producing new pitchers again.

A helpful tip is to add a small amount of pure water into each pitcher when your plant arrives — about a teaspoon is enough. Avoid filling them completely.

I also like to pour a little Novion into the pitchers to help reduce stress and assist with acclimatisation.

Novion can be purchased under the Accessories Page.

Watering Requirements

PURE is PERFECT.

Nepenthes must always be watered with pure water such as:

• Rainwater
• Distilled water
• Reverse Osmosis (RO) water

Unlike many other carnivorous plants, Nepenthes should not sit in trays of water. This can cause root or crown rot.

Instead, water from above and allow the water to drain freely through the pot.

The soil should remain consistently damp, but never waterlogged and never allowed to dry out completely.

Depending on temperature and airflow, watering may be needed daily or every few days.

Soil Requirements

Poor Soil Makes Happy Plants.

Nepenthes grow best in light, airy soil mixes that retain moisture while allowing plenty of oxygen around the roots.

Avoid any soil containing fertiliser.

A mix that works particularly well is:

• 1 part carnivorous soil mix
• 1 part long-fiber sphagnum moss
• 2 parts perlite or akadama stone

This combination holds moisture while keeping the roots well aerated.

Our Nepenthes soil mix is available on the Accessories page.

For more info on Soil & Potting refer to my BLOG ON REPOTTING.

Feeding Requirements

If you Absolutely Cannot Resist!

Nepenthes are excellent hunters and generally do not need to be fed if grown outdoors.

Sunlight remains their main energy source, while insects provide additional nutrients.

If you would like to feed them occasionally:

• Offer small insects, live or freshly dead
• Freeze-dried mealworms can also be used

Avoid fish pellets, as these can take a long time to break down and sometimes encourage mould growth inside the pitchers.

It’s perfectly normal for older pitchers to brown and die over time. As new leaves grow, the plant will produce new pitchers.

Overfeeding can shorten the lifespan of pitchers, so gentle feeding is best.

Nepenthes can also benefit from an occasional light foliar spray such as Novion, applied to the leaves.

Pest Control

Never Fear. Help is Near.

Nepenthes can occasionally attract pests such as:

• Thrips
• Scale
• Mealybugs
• Aphids

If this happens, isolate the plant and treat it with a mild insecticide.

A product such as Rosecare Plus by Efekto, which combines systemic and contact control, works very well. (This can be found in any Garden Centre or Hardware Store)

Apply once a week for three weeks to fully eliminate the infestation.
Try to avoid spraying directly inside the pitchers.

Temperature Tolerance

To Chill or Not to Chill.

Nepenthes are tropical plants and are generally divided into three growing groups:

Lowland Nepenthes
These come from low elevations in Southeast Asia. They prefer warm temperatures around 30°C with high humidity, and should not experience temperatures below 20°C at night.

Highland Nepenthes
These plants enjoy warm days but require cooler nights. Ideal conditions are around 30°C during the day with a nighttime drop of 10–15°C.

Intermediate Nepenthes
These varieties fall between the two and are generally the most forgiving if conditions fluctuate slightly.

All Nepenthes enjoy high humidity and good airflow, and cannot tolerate frost.

A helpful guide to identifying your Nepenthes category can be found below.

Nepenthes Category Guide
(Click on Sort by Name to get an alphabetical listing of the plant names)

Winter Dormancy

The Big Snooze.

Unlike many other carnivorous plants, Nepenthes do not require winter dormancy and can grow throughout the year.

However, growth may slow during colder months as temperatures and daylight hours decrease.

Nepenthes are not frost tolerant, so if you grow them outdoors in colder regions it is best to move them indoors or to a protected area during winter.

Once temperatures warm up again, growth and pitcher production will quickly resume.

For more information about seasonal growth changes, Refer to my blog on Winter Snoozes.