Question
My sister bought me a N. Miranda from a local nusery, and I was looking at the instructions it came with.

And odd thing I saw was that it said that you could fill the pitcher 1/3 full with distilled water.  This seems odd, because it sounds like doing that would be dilluting it's digestive fluids with the water.

Is this one of those odd things that are ok to do, or is it one of those instructions you see becasuse they don't really understand about raising these plants.  It has a new pitcher, and it has it's own liquid.

Answer
Hi John,

Your assumptions are correct.  Nepenthes secrete their own fluids into their pitchers.  Some exceptions exist, such as N. ampullaria.  The instructions on filling the pitchers with water is to make the pitchers last longer for marketing in garden centers.  Even though it does no harm, no practical reason exists to fill the pitchers.  You may loose the pitchers in the transition, but new ones will grow come summer.


Good Growing!

Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com