Question
Hi, I have a N. ventricosa growing in a southeast window and yesterday it surprised me by popping out a little flower stalk. And since its the first time one of my nepenthes has flowered I had a few questions; Is their a way to keep the flower from reaching out and touching the window? Will the flower draw a lot of energy from the plant? If its male, how long can I store the pollen? And if its female, is it possible to get pollen.

Answer
Hello Jared,

Congratulations with getting a flowering Nepenthes, it means you are caring for the plant very well.

I use a length of twine or yarn to tie errant flower stalks back and just adjust the string to keep the stalk from contacting whatever object I want it kept away from.

Yes, flowering takes energy away from plants, but this is natural. The plant will slow down a little in leaf and pitcher growth, but this is not fatal as long as the plant keeps getting its regular care.

You can collect rhe pollen in a dry paper envelope and ziplock it in a baggie in the crisper of your fridge. That way it can keep for months. Make sure the pollen is ripe before collecting it. Ripe pollen will begin to fall on its own. Remove the rip flower and let it dry, then harvest the pollen immediately and place it in the refrigerator.

You can try carnivorous plant forums and sites online for people selling or trading carnivorous plants, seeds, and pollen. Just type in search terms like "Nepenthes pollen" and you should get plenty of links.

Christopher