Growing Nepenthes clipeata from seeds

Nepenthes clipeata is a Nepenthes species from Mt. Kelam in Kalimantan Borneo from approximately 600-800m (1,969-2,625ft) above sea level on sheer rock cliffs. Unfortunately poachers have all but wiped them out and so only a few individuals remain in the wild.

You can find more information about Nepenthes clipeata on Wikipedia. Also Stewart McPherson’s YouTube video, An expedition to find the rare pitcher plant Nepenthes clipeata in a remote part of Borneo

Fortunately a few growers have flowered the species and produced horticultural seeds. This has helped to make Nepenthes clipeata available via tissue culture Wistuba Nepenthes in Germany, and soon a few other nurseries around the world. One such horticultural clipeata breeding project was presented by Naoki Tanabe at the 2018 ICPS conference in Santa Rosa, California. You can find all the videos on the ICPS website

Last year I was fortunate enough to get a chance to obtain two seed pods of horticultural produced Nepenthes clipeata November 2019. This started my project to raise N. clipeata from seeds.

I germinated and grow them in a simple setup. 1020 tray with an LED from home depot resting on a dome. Temperatures are intermediate most of the year, low 80°s (~24-28°C) in day and low 60°s (~15-18°C)at night.

I am also growing a N. (veitchii x lowii) x clipeata from the same flower stalk. These had less successful germination and slower to grow. Goes to show that hybrid vigor can be usually counteracted by a Nepenthes slowii genetics.

Excited to see these mature and hopefully trade some away to fellow growers. Please let me know in the comments if you have had any experience growing this species.