Jerry

Monkey jar

Nepenthes; Pitcher plant; Monkey cups

• 
  Bright light
• 
  Needs some love

• Jerry likes...
  • 
    Regular watering

    He likes his soil to stay lightly moist, so check him weekly and water him if he’s dry. Let any excess water drain off.

  • 
    Bright light

    He likes a spot with lots of light, ideally indirect. He’s not made for living in the shade.

  • 
    Humidity

    He likes a moist atmosphere. Give him a good squirt with a mister every few days to keep him happy.

• Quick facts

  Botanical name

  Nepenthes

  Nickname

  Monkey jar; Pitcher plant; monkey cups

  Air purifying

  No

  Plant height

  40-50cm

  Pet/Baby safe

  Toxic if ingested

  Nursery pot size

  14cm

• About Monkey jars

  Let’s talk about it upfront. The Monkey jar is carnivorous. It likes to eat flies. Sounds a bit gruesome, but think of it as a kind of an attractive bug disposal system. Ideal in summer. It doesn’t need to eat insects to survive, but if one flies into one of its ‘jars’, it’s done for.

  In the wild, the Monkey jar lives largely in rainforests across Asia. It climbs up trees or rocks, sometimes as high as 15 metres. The rims of its bulbous red jars are brightly coloured, to attract insects. Any foolish enough to land on it slip into the cup, and are slowly digested by the sticky liquid within.

  When grown indoors, it likes to be reminded of home. If you can mimic its rainforest habitat - moist soil; humid air; lots of light - it will live quite happily, gobbling up any unwelcome bugs.

  Did you know?

  He earned the nickname Monkey jar because in the jungle monkeys like to drink from him.