Ask the PlantMaster

Yesterday I purchased a "Pitcher Plant" at my Calloway's and I love it! How do I care for it?

Yesterday I purchased a "Pitcher Plant" at my Calloway's and I love it! How do I care for it? The cashier said it's an indoor plant but how will it get bugs indoors? Will it be happy on my covered patio if I hang it where it gets morning sun? Special pruning? Do I always water the pitchers or just now that I have it home?

If it is the type in the hanging basket with the large, pendulous pitchers, these are very tropical and should be kept outdoors in a warm, semi-shaded area that resembles the conditions like it would get under a tree. In their native habitat, these Nepenthes are tree-dwellers like orchids and bromeliads, so they receive the type of light that you'd find under a tree or in its branches. Never water the pitchers except just to keep a tiny bit of moisture in them. They usually collect rainwater only. The insects are usually only a supplement to the nutrients that these plants need, so if well-fertilized in the soil it should not even require insects. Keep the soil moist but never wet, and don't ever allow it to dry out and wilt.