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Nepenthes rajah
Also called Giant Malaysian Pitcher Plant, Giant Pitcher Plant, Rajah Brooke's Pitcher Plant
Nepenthes rajah is a giant carnivorous pitcher plant, a climbing shrub from Mount Kinabalu in Borneo, and one of the largest pitcher plants known. It needs bright sun, very humid air, cool nights and constantly moist, loose soil.
Nepenthes rajah is a carnivorous pitcher plant species of the family Nepenthaceae. It is endemic to Mount Kinabalu and neighbouring Mount Tambuyukon in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Nepenthes rajah grows exclusively on serpentine substrates, particularly in areas of seeping ground water where the soil is loose and permanently moist. The species has an altitudinal range of 1,500–2,650 m (4,920–8,690 ft) above sea level and is thus considered a highland or sub-alpine plant. Due to its localised distribution, N. rajah is classified as an endangered species by the IUCN and listed on CITES Appendix I.
The species was collected by Hugh Low on Mount Kinabalu in 1858, and described the next year by Joseph Dalton Hooker, who named it after James Brooke, the first White Rajah of Sarawak.
N. rajah is a montane species or "highlander", growing at altitudes ranging from 1500 to 2650 m. As such, it requires warm days, with temperatures ranging (ideally) from approximately 25 to 30 °C, and cool nights, with temperatures of about 10 to 15 °C. It needs a fairly humid environment to grow well. Values in the region of 75% R.H. have been recommended. In its natural habitat, N. rajah grows in open areas, exposed to direct sunlight. In the tropics, growers can utilise natural sunlight as a source of illumination. In temperate zones, a photoperiod of 12 hours, comparable to that of the tropics, is recommended. The plant produces an extensive root system, requiring a wide pot. The species can tolerate hard water though purified water is recommended by specialists. From trials carried out by a commercial nursery,micronutrient solutions appear to be beneficial. Actual fertilizers (containing NPK) were found to be damaging.
Nepenthes abalata · Nepenthes abgracilis · Nepenthes adnata · Nepenthes aenigma · Nepenthes alata · Nepenthes alba · Nepenthes albomarginata · Nepenthes alfredoi · Nepenthes alzapan · Flask-Shaped Pitcher-Plant · Nepenthes andamana · Nepenthes angasanensis
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Nepenthes rajah by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
