Question
I've been eyeing the n. hamata for a few months, such an awesome looking
plant! Is it possible to keep it alive just on the windowsill? Here in NY the
nights are cool during the winter but in the summer it will stay above 80
easily. Are the cool nights *really* essential? While I would love one, I'd hate
to spend so much money just to have it die ( and I'd hate to kill it). I wont be
able to maintain any sort of special refrigeration unit or terrarium for it, so is
my dream of growing a hamata even possible? hey a girl can hope.

The last question I sent in to you was concerning my sundew that had quite a
crash acclimation when I first got it, but I am happy to report its thriving now
:-)

Answer
Hi Katie,

A mature plant will adapt more readily to your conditions.  There is a grower in the New England area who grows a relatively large N. hamata in his kitchen window.  However, a young plant, such as the ones we have for sale, needs a bit more coddling because they tend to grow very slowly.  I recommend keeping the plant in an enclosure for consistent humidity until it matures a bit.  If you can't provide an enclosure (terrarium), then it's possible to care for it on a sunny windowsill during the winter months.  Make sure the soil is always moist.  Our plants are in live sphagnum moss, so this helps quite a bit.  Without an enclosure, a young plant may grow slower than normal, but it won't die.

The main issue is the hot summers.  Cool nights are essential if the daytime temperature exceeds 85癋.  So in the summer months, you might see slower growth.  If the nights and days are consistently warm, there is a risk for a young plant to exhaust itself and eventually die.  Fortunately, there are options to keeping the plant cool at night during the peak summer months, and this involves placing the plant in a cooler with ice packs for the night.

Again, when the plant matures (in at least 3 years), it'll be adaptable to your home conditions without special treatment.  If you were to get a N. hamata, fall and early winter would be the best time.  This will give your plant time to acclimate to your home well before the onset of summer.

Good growing!
Jacob Farin