N. bongso X maxima
purchase date: 6 / 07
arrived as a size 3
plant origin: Lee's Botanical Gardens
photo taken:  6 / 07

Nepenthes bongso X maxima is a cross between two highlanders. I got the plant from Lee's Botanical Gardens so I think Bruce Bednar made this cross. The plants available were about a size 3 and definitely greenhouse hardened. The plant is still small so it will be some time before upper pitchers will be produced in the vining stage. But right now, I really do like the lower pitcher coloration. I grow outdoors under some shade cloth and it has acclimated well so far. Both parent plants are easy highlanders to grow so I suspect this hybrid should be easy as well. Crosses with N. maxima can tolerate a variety of growing conditions and are usually quite vigorous. That's one of the reasons there are so many hybrids that have N. maxima in them. Also since there are so many variations of N. maxima, there can be a lot of differences between plants. I haven't seen this hybrid available other than at Lee's. Both parent plants are common so it wouldn't surprise me if  Exotica Plants or other private growers have this cross in cultivation. 

Cultivation: easy to moderate grower outdoors, possible windowsill plant
Market availability: size 3; limited to Lee's Botanical Nursery as of 2007
Species variability: maybe some among the seed grown plants
$ / size: moderate $25.00 and up as larger plants are grown out
Cuttings: none available for trade
Sex: unknown