Collector Collab – Joe Sullivan

We’re thrilled to kick off our brand-new Florae Collaborative’s Collector Collab series with a look into the world of Joe Sullivan, a passionate and thoughtful Nepenthes grower. Joe has been cultivating carnivorous plants since 2018 and has since grown from curious beginner to registered cultivar creator with Nepenthes ‘Chonk’. His approach to growing—centered on consistency, learning, and joy—offers something for collectors at every level. Check out his video tour and answers to our questions below. You can follow more of Joe’s growing adventures on Instagram at @14jsullivan.

How long have you been collecting carnivorous plants? What got you into growing them? What do you find most rewarding about it?

I purchased my first Nepenthes and Sarracenia midway through 2018, but was unprepared to care for them. I ended up killing the Sarracenia, but the Nepenthes did well. Curious as to why this happened, I started learning about the needs of these plants in culture and the wild. After getting into the proverbial weeds, I was hooked! I set up my first grow tent and started collecting Nepenthes in earnest in January 2019. The complexity and diversity of the ecological interactions fascinated me and made me want to start growing plants from the genus. I find it incredibly rewarding to grow a plant from seed to flowering size; I have had the opportunity to take a few plants from seed to producing seed of their own, and feel like that is the point where I feel as though I’ve done my job as a grower.  

How do you learn about plants and growing? What sources do you reference for research?

I started learning to grow Nepenthes via YouTube. Back when I started, I relied heavily on pages like bradsgreenhouse and old tour videos of Borneo Exotics to get my initial setups running. As my collection developed and I started growing plants new to cultivation, I started to lean on Redfern’s videos, forum posts and academic publications to learn where the plants naturally grew and how to keep them in the home. 

What’s the biggest challenge in maintaining carnivorous plants at home? And what are some ways you’ve overcome it?

Consistency, whether a consistent cycle or a target range consistency, is, in my opinion, the single most critical factor to keeping any living thing. From the first day I started keeping plants, I have constantly pushed to maximise the consistency of my grow spaces. Light, watering, and temperature are factors that can be automated relatively easily with timers, watering systems, and thermostats. With the addition of alarm systems, you can be confident that you will know when one of these variables is off track. I recommend automating and setting up digital alarms for any parameters possible; the peace of mind it can provide for a plant keeper alone is worth the money and time. My current hurdle lies in maintaining consistency in the context of my attention as a grower. As the number of plants you maintain grows, your attention is inevitably spread thinner and thinner, making some tasks (like re-potting) feel daunting. I find that setting a consistent and attainable schedule with a known order of priority works well with my mentality and helps me know when more attention is needed. In the context of re-potting, I currently aim to repot 5 plants every other week, with repots being a low-priority item. If life gets in the way, then I know I’m dropping re-pots that week, and this allows me to enjoy the time I spend with my plants instead of worrying about a to-do list. After all, this is a hobby, and it serves no purpose if not for enjoyment. 

What is your favorite genus, species, or hybrid of carnivorous plant, and why?

I have always preferred toothy, particularly plants with N. villosa, N. macrophylla, or N. edwardsiana genetics. I’ve become a huge fan of N. xtrusmadiensis x edwardsiana over the past few years. The cross has been done at least three times at this point, and every plant I have seen has been phenomenal. The largest of my N. xtrusmadiensis x edwardsiana is from the ‘Kracken” grex; its pitchers are a classic N. macrophylla orange with an elongate body and large teeth reminiscent of N. macrophylla. Although this cross is highland, it grows happily in intermediate conditions, which is just another reason I think this cross is my favorite. 

What would you consider the high point in your plant-keeping career (breeding event, happy challenging plant etc.)?

Two instances pop to mind. The first was the acceptance of my first registered cultivar. Nepenthes ‘Chonk’ was published in the September 2024 issue of the ICPS newsletter. N. ‘Chonk’  is a seed-grown plant created by crossing N. ventricosa x sibuyanensis with N. sanguinea, it presents with a lovely off white body and a brilliant red peristome. Lastly, I had the opportunity to create and germinate some toothy Nepenthes that I played a role in creating this past winter. I crossed my male N. ventricosa x edwardsiana with @g.exotic.plants N. truncata x Harryana and couldn’t be more excited to see the results! 

What advice or tips would you give someone looking to get started with carnivorous plants?

If you’re setting up a grow tent, I recommend keeping electronics on the outside and never having any plugs within the tent. Keeping electronics out of the tent will increase the life of your equipment dramatically and reduce the associated risk of fire. Lights all but need to be in the tent, but fans, humidifiers, and electric heaters in particular should be kept outside of areas with elevated humidity and ductwork used to move the air back into the tent. Not only will this save you money and time, but it could save your life!

The Florae Collaborative’s Collector Collab series is about sharing knowledge, spotlighting unique setups, and inspiring fellow plant lovers to grow their own carnivorous plant collections. We want to highlight a variety of setups, both big and small! If you are interested in being featured in our Collector Collab series, reach out to us! Submissions that are chosen will receive a $50 coupon for our site.