Nepenthes albomarginata x maxima 'Red Beauty'

How to grow this carnivorous pitcher plant

I was given this Nepenthes albomarginata x maxima 'Red Beauty' by grower Sean Higgs to try as a houseplant growing in peat free compost. And as you can see, while still young, it’s growing very well indeed.

Need to know information about Nepenthes albomarginata x maxima 'Red Beauty'

Nepenthes ‘Red Beauty’ is a hybrid between Nepenthes maxima from the New Guinea islands and Nepenthes albomarginata from Borneo to Sumatera. No doubt bred using specific forms of these two species, for instance, favouring forms with a red tinge.

Carnivorous plants can, on the one hand, be the easiest plants to grow, and on the other, one of the hardest. Nepenthes however are one of the easier carnivorous plants to grow.

Cutting to the chase, the biggest challenge growing carnivorous plants is the pH of the water, they like neutral to acidic water. If you live in an alkaline area (signalled by limescale in kettles) you will find it harder to grow them unless you collect rainwater to water them with. Some plan…