Behind every botanical painting lies a story and adventure, just like this painting of Nepenthes spectabilis Danser. This is the first Nepenthes I painted from a specimen I collected directly from its habitat on Mount Sibuatan, Dairi Regency, North Sumatra.

N. spectabilis is a species of pitcher plant endemic to the island of Sumatra. Its habitat is typically in highlands with relatively high humidity. Interestingly, each locality has different shapes, sizes, and colours. The specimen from Mount Sibuatan specifically has pitchers with a greenish-yellow colour, dark purple patterns, and thin-lined lips, relatively smaller compared to N. spectabilis from other regions, which usually have thick-lipped and larger pitchers.

Climbing Mount Sibuatan was truly an enjoyable experience (albeit tiring as it took over 9 hours to reach the summit). Besides N. spectabilis, I also encountered various species of orchids, pitcher plants, aroids, palms, and unique trees that I had never seen before. This made me realize the diverse biodiversity that exists in the land where I was born.