photo taken: 9 / 03
N. maxima "Irian Jaya"
purchase date: 9 / 03
arrived as a size 3
plant origin: Borneo Exotics
photo taken: 9 / 06
N. maxima
"Frederik Meijer Gardens"
purchase date: 9 / 04
arrived as a size 3
plant origin: unsure
photo taken: 9 / 06
N. maxima "M"
purchase date: 5 / 06
arrived as a size 3
plant origin: Exotica Plants
photo taken: 10 / 06
Nepenthes maxima is a highly variant species. They come in striped pitchers, green, red peristomes, blackish peristomes, etc. There are many different clones and locality varieties that make this species very interesting. N. maxima is a great starter plant for all of the right reasons; cheap, pretty, vigorous grower, and tolerates a wide variety of growing conditions. I grow my N. maximas as highlanders outdoors although there are some lowland varieties that could be grown indoors though I don't own any of those. The lower pitchers tend to be a little more "tubbier" and colorful than the upper pitchers while the upper pitchers get more cylindrical and can be less colorful than the lowers. I've noticed this with my "pierenensis" variety that the uppers really lack any striping and stay mostly green. This is also true with my hybrid N. maxima X ventricosa. The lower pitchers are really nice while the upper pitchers stay only green. There seems to be so many varieties of N. maxima, you could own an entire collection of them. This species makes an excellent hybridizer because of its hardiness and versatility. I N. maxima up there with N. ventricosa and N. alata as a great starter species for beginners.
RATING
lowlander / intermediate / highlander 600m-2500m
Cultivation: one of the easiest! great starter
plant, vigorous grower
Market availability: size 3, rooted cuttings and
larger plants; extremely common
Species variability: lots! lowland and highland
forms, locality names like "Irian Jaya", "Borone", "Tlatawiran", and color
differences.
$ / size: inexpensive to expensive (depends on
the variety of plant); $15.00 to $80.00 + depending on size and locality
of plant
Cuttings: available for trade at times (Exotica Plants
"pierenensis")
Sex: female plant (pierenensis)