Nepenthes paniculata is probably endemic to Doorman Top, a mountain in New Guinea (03°28′01″S 138°26′59″E / 3.46694°S 138.44972°E / -3.46694; 138.44972).

In recent times it has been recorded from mossy forest on a ridge top at 1,460 m altitude.

[5] In 1994, A. Wistuba, H. Rischer, B. Baumgartl, and B. Kistler explored Doorman Top in search of N. paniculata but found no Nepenthes other than N. lamii (then known as N. vieillardii) and N. maxima.

[6] In August 2013, the species was rediscovered by a team consisting of Holger Gossner, Thomas Gronemeyer, David Marwinski, Stewart McPherson, Marius Micheler, Joachim Nerz, Andreas Wistuba, and Urs Zimmermann.

[7][8][9][5] This expedition was the first to document the lower pitchers, which superficially resemble those of N. merrilliana and species related to it from the Philippines.