Nepenthes X dyeriana is just plain spectacular! It's a hybrid between N. x mixta and N. x dicksoniana. Both of those plants are hybrids too! So this is a complex hybrid between (N. northiana x N. maxima) x (N. rafflesiana x N. veitchii). There's also a great picture on the back cover of Peter D'Amato's book The Savage Garden. I purchased my plant as a rooted cutting back in 1993 from Peter (California Carnivores) I believe for $100.00. I splurged and boy was it ever worth it! It produces upper and lower pitchers. I prefer the uppers because of the flared candy cane peristome. The pitchers are incredible and large. Easily over a foot long! The leaves are big too. In fact, this plant is a big plant. However, it doesn't seem to produce any basal shoots. Mine has produced offshoots from the growing vine which I take cuttings from. My plant is about 4 feet tall tied up to bamboo stakes. It is an easy indoor grower and roots easily from cuttings for me anyway. I'm growing one cutting outdoors now to see if I can cross this guy over to highland conditions. It would be better for me to grow this hybrid outdoors because of its size! It takes up a lot of room in the bedroom let alone a terrarium! Pitchers do take a while to form and open. The only availability I'm aware of is from rooted cuttings because the parental lineage would almost be impossible to duplicate.
RATING
lowlander (Not a naturally occurring hybrid)
N. x mixta (N. northiana x N. maxima) X
N. dicksoniana (N. rafflesiana x N. veitchii)
Cultivation: easy, moderate grower that gets very
large! Give it room to grow.
Market availability: only from rooted cuttings
that I'm aware of, very limited
Species variability: none that I'm aware of, is
a complex hybrid
$ / size: expensive to collector's plant; $75.00 and up
Cuttings: available at times for trade
Sex: male
Notes: readily
roots from cuttings for me; doesn't seem to produce any basal shoots but will
send out sideshoots from parts of the woody stem