Heliamphora minor Gleason

Heliamphora minor is a small carnivorous pitcher plant endemic to the cloud-soaked summit of Auyán-tepui in southern Venezuela, the same flat-topped sandstone plateau that gives rise to Angel Falls. It is one of the smallest of the so-called sun pitchers, forming a clumping rosette of slender, pale-green pitchers seven to fifteen centimetres tall, each topped by a tiny bright-red nectar spoon that lures insects to the rim and into the trap. Up on the tepui, days are bright and cool, nights are cold and damp, and rain falls almost constantly — conditions any cultivator has to mimic, which is why this plant is normally grown in a 'highland' terrarium with 70–90% humidity, strong light, and a real day-night temperature swing. Of all the Heliamphora species, H. minor is one of the most tolerant of slightly warmer days and lower humidity, making it the usual starting point for new growers.