About Us
From Jungle Discoveries to Gold Medals and Global Conservation — Our Story
High in the cool, misty hills of Sri Lanka’s tea-growing central highlands, you’ll find something unexpected: a nursery and lab facility aiding the cultivation and conservation of Nepenthes — the largest and most spectacular carnivorous plants on the planet.
It might seem an unlikely place to grow plants native to the rainforests of Southeast Asia, but this region offers the perfect year-round climate. That’s why we built our nursery and lab here, and why we’ve spent the past 25+ years turning our passion into something bigger: a mission to help protect rare, sought-after species by making them widely available in cultivation, reducing the incentive to take from the wild — conservation through cultivation.
Today, our work has expanded further, using our expertise to help breeders around the world propagate their own unique plants through our contract micropropagation services. Providing trusted propagation for the plants that set them apart.
A Passion That Took Root in the Wild
Our journey began with a childhood love of Nepenthes. Rob Cantley, who founded Borneo Exotics, grew up in Brunei, on the island of Borneo — one of the last strongholds of these incredible plants. As a young adult, Rob explored the rainforests of Southeast Asia, discovering new species and learning how to cultivate them successfully.
One of his most memorable discoveries was a spectacular Nepenthes species, rescued just moments before chainsaws and bulldozers destroyed its only known habitat — a plant that would have otherwise gone extinct in the wild. Rob and the team at Borneo Exotics succeeded in raising just six plants to maturity from seed, eventually managing to breed them — a process that took nearly 15 years. The resulting plants were then multiplied using advanced propagation techniques, making them available to growers and botanic gardens around the world.
Our nursery went on to create entirely new hybrids using this species, which the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew later named Nepenthes robcantleyi in Rob’s honour. Our commitment to conservation continues to this day. Rob currently serves as Chair of the IUCN Carnivorous Plant Specialist Group, helping monitor and protect threatened species across the globe.
From Wild Seeds to Award-Winning Hybrids
In 1997, Rob founded Borneo Exotics. From the beginning, we set out to create Nepenthes hybrids unlike anything the world had seen — bred from plants raised from ethically and legally collected seed, gathered during field expeditions into remote rainforest habitats.
Today, our catalogue includes more than 2,000 original hybrids, ranging from striking miniature varieties to giants with jaw-dropping colouration and form. One of our cultivars is a contender for the world record for the largest carnivorous plant trap.
Our work has been recognised on the international stage. During five years of exhibiting at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, we were awarded five RHS Gold Medals (four at Chelsea and one at Hampton Court), as well as two prestigious RHS Special Annual Awards. We now supply specimen Nepenthes to major botanic gardens as well as hobbyists around the world.
But while our hybrids are known for their beauty, our success has always depended on something more: precision propagation — and that led us to develop world-class micropropagation expertise.
Micropropagation: Precision That Goes Beyond Nepenthes
Traditional propagation techniques weren’t enough. Nepenthes are slow to grow from seed, and cuttings are inconsistent and prone to disease issues. So we built our own tissue culture lab and invested years in mastering micropropagation — the only reliable way to reproduce this complex genus at scale.
It wasn’t easy. Nepenthes are considered among the most difficult plant genera to initiate into sterile laboratory conditions. But that challenge became our greatest teacher. The techniques we developed in-house — and continue to refine — are now among the most advanced in the industry. The expertise we’ve gained is fully transferable to other commercially valuable, as well as rare and endangered, plant species.
What began as a solution for our own production needs became something more. Today, we offer contract micropropagation services to breeders and nurseries worldwide, using our expertise to support both commercial production and conservation work across a wide range of plant genera.
While most of our lab’s capacity is dedicated to helping growers scale commercially valuable cultivars, we reserve part of our work for rare and endangered species — extending our philosophy of conservation through cultivation to projects that matter globally.
A Commitment to People and Place
We’re proud not only of what we grow, but of where we grow it — and who we grow it with.
Our nursery and lab are based in a tea-growing region of Sri Lanka, where many of our team members once worked as tea pickers. Their incredible manual dexterity, developed through years of delicately plucking tea leaves, has made them ideal candidates for the skilled lab work required in micropropagation.
We’ve trained and employed dozens of local staff in long-term, skilled roles — providing them with better pay, improved working conditions, and stable livelihoods in their own communities.
Growing Plants, Partnerships, and a Purpose That Lasts
What began as a childhood fascination has grown into a thriving nursery, a world-class micropropagation lab, and a global conservation initiative. Along the way, we’ve blended scientific expertise, a deep respect for nature, and a commitment to community.
This is Borneo Exotics — and we’d be proud to grow with you.
If you’re a breeder looking to scale a valuable new cultivar, or a retail nursery searching for showstopping plants your customers will love, we’re here to help.
We provide trusted propagation for the plants that set you apart. Start growing with us.
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