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Nepenthes Flowering: To Remove or Not Remove the Bloom Spikes?

N. Kohala blooming

Your N. Kohala is flowering. Should you cut the spikes? It depends on your goals.

Options

Remove them: If you don't want seeds or dislike the odd, musty fragrance (often described as dirty socks), cut the spikes at the base.
Leave them: If you enjoy the flowers, let them bloom. They won't harm the plant.

Bonus Discovery: Your Plant Is Female!

The swollen bulb at the base of each flower is an ovary—indicating a female plant. If you have access to a male Nepenthes in bloom (or know someone who does), you could hand-pollinate to produce seeds.

Good Growing!

Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
www.cobraplant.com

Carnivorous Plants: Nepenthes Not Pitchering on Balcony: Light, Location, and Acclimation; Nepenthes truncata: Lowland Tag, But Grows Fine in Highland Conditions; Nepenthes aristolochioides Temperature Needs: Cool Nights, Warm Days; Identifying Unknown Nepenthes: truncata and a Hybrid; Two Unidentified Nepenthes: N. ventrata Clone (deRoose Alata) and Dark N. sanguinea; Ultra-Highland Nepenthes: Temperature Demands and Coir for Seed Germination; Nepenthes Pitchers Form Away from the Light Source; Can Nepenthes Vines Root If Buried? Slow but Possible; Growing Lowland Nepenthes Hybrids Outside a Terrarium; Repotting Nepenthes: When It's Needed and Why Annual Repotting Isn't Mandatory

Garden Articles

Identifying Nepenthes: 'Miranda' and deRoose's 'Alata'

Repotting a New Nepenthes: Acclimate First or Pot Immediately?

To Stake or Not to Stake: Managing Nepenthes Vine Growth

Charcoal in Nepenthes Mix—Unnecessary and Potentially Harmful

Identifying Nepenthes × ventrata (deRoose's Alata) and Pitcher Maintenance

Choosing and Growing Nepenthes: Sanguinea, Miranda, and Alternatives

Nepenthes Pests: Thrips, Scale, and Red Spot Fungus on ventricosa/sibuyanensis

Plants

Identifying Common Nepenthes Hybrids: deRoose Varieties and Rebecca Soper

Diagnosing Nepenthes Death from Root Rot: Pebble Tray Misuse

Basal Shoots on Nepenthes: Normal Vining Behavior

Windowsill Nepenthes: Species Recommendations, Media, and Winter Humidity Management

Identifying a Vigorous Nepenthes: Likely N. sanguinea Hybrid

Live Sphagnum Moss as a Rooting Medium for Nepenthes Cuttings

Nepenthes ventrata: Pitchers Are Modified Leaves—They Don’t Regrow on Old Leaves