Fanged pitcher plant
Nepenthes bicalcarata
Also called Nepenthes bicalcarata and Fanged pitcher plant
Houseplant · CarnivorousIT KEEPS ANTS AND THE ANTS EARN IT. A colony lives in the hollow tendril, cleans the pitcher and hauls out anything too big to digest; a plant without them catches more and keeps less. The two fangs are the nectar source that pays them.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Very hard
- Water
- Every 4 daysKeep it moist — water at the first hint of dryness — don't wait for a dry pot.
- Light
- Bright indirect
- Feed
- Not needed
- Humidity
- High
- Hardiness
- Indoors, or out in high summer RHS H1B, to 10°C
- Size
- 0.8 m tall · 0.8 m across
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Origin
- Borneo
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsNothing recorded against it
No animal-poison authority lists this plant either way.
PeopleNot checked yet
Nobody has checked this one against a source for us yet, so treat it as unknown rather than safe.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-09-21. Where a source says nothing, we say nothing.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.