New update 14th May: Dame Helen Mirren has confirmed that she will attend a photocall at 11.15 am on Press Day.

 New Cultivar Launch for the 2011 Chelsea Flower Show

Nepenthes ‘Helen’

= Nepenthes spathulata x spectabilis

Photo copyrighted and may not be used without permission. Credited to Gyles Keyte.

This particularly exceptional cultivar from a newly created primary hybrid is named in honour of one of the best loved actresses of her generation, Dame Helen Mirren. We chose Dame Helen in recognition of her exceptional talents, her love of horticulture and particularly as an expression of our admiration for the time and effort she puts into supporting many charitable causes.

A portion of the proceeds from all future sales of this new cultivar will be donated to charity. It will be available for the first time as young plants in limited numbers at the 2011 Chelsea Flower Show, where the RHS have granted special permission for its sale. 20% of the proceeds from the Chelsea sales will be donated to the London based charity ‘Kids Company’, as chosen by Dame Helen.

Photocall at 11.15 am on Monday 23rd May

We are honoured and delighted that Dame Helen Mirren is finding time out of her very busy schedule to attend a photocall for the launch of the new cultivar at 11.15 am on Press Day.

History of Development

Both parent plants were raised from legally collected seeds, originally germinated in our nurseries in 1997. This new horticultural hybrid was created in February 2007 in Sri Lanka by Borneo Exotics. This is the result of over 15 years of work and is an example of the future potential of Nepenthes hybridisation.

This hybrid was first publicly shown at the 2010 RHS Chelsea Flower Show, without a cultivar name, where it was selected by the Royal Horticultural Society as one of the top 20 best new plant introductions for 2010.

A specimen plant can be seen at the Borneo Exotics exhibit at GPD/12 in the Great Pavilion.

Commercial Availability

Some young plants are available for sale for the very first time at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show at stand GPD/12. It's currently under large-scale production and will be widely available as from 2012.

Cultivaton Information

This cultivar has been carefully selected for desirable horticultural characteristics from many, out of the first grex of seedlings  raised from a  brand new primary hybrid. It's completely unique and does not resemble any Nepenthes plant shown before. It's also vigorous and has great mass-market potential.

These plants can be grown in a greenhouse or on a bright windowsill with only a little direct sun, provided they are misted regularly or housed in a suitable container to maintain high humidity.  More information can be found at www.borneoexotics.com under the tab for DESKTOP CARNIVORES.

Photo Resource

Please click on thumbnails below to download hi-resolution versions which may be used freely.