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Nepenthaceae
Monkey Cup Flower
Nepenthes rafflesiana
Nature's cunning and beautiful traps.
- Family
- Nepenthaceae
- Genus
- Nepenthes
- Native to
- Borneo, Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia
- Bloom season
- Year-Round In Tropics
- Type
- carnivorous climbing vine
- Height
- trailing/climbing to 1500 cm
- Sunlight
- bright indirect light
- Soil
- sphagnum moss and perlite; nutrient-poor
- Water
- high; constant humidity and moisture
- Hardiness
- 11–12
- Lifespan
- perennial; long-lived
Did you know
- The name 'monkey cup' comes from observations of primates drinking rainwater collected in the pitchers.
- The actual flowers are small and inconspicuous — the spectacular pitchers are modified leaf tips, not flowers.
- Each pitcher contains a cocktail of digestive enzymes that can dissolve an insect in about two days.
- Some Nepenthes pitchers are large enough to trap rats, lizards, and even small birds that slip on the waxy rim.
- Named after Sir Stamford Raffles, founder of Singapore, who collected specimens during his expeditions in Sumatra.
Color meanings
Red
alluring danger
Green
deceptive innocence