The Butterwort's (Pinguicula species)

This genus consists of about 80 species found throughout Europe and Asia extending southwards in to Japan.

Pinguicula medusina

They are also found in North America with a high concentration of species found in Mexico and disjunct species in Central and South America.

These plants typically form a rosette of flat and often rather succulent light green leaves, which have a dense covering of thousands of tiny stalked glands, each topped with a globule of mucilage.

This glue when touched, gives the leaf a greasy feel and it is this characteristic which gives rise to the plants common name and latin names.

Pinguicula lauana

Small insects (rarely larger than tiny houseflies) become overwhelmed by the glue upon landing on the leaf and are suffocated when their breathing pores become blocked.

Digestive enzymes are then released on to the insects body and breakdown the soft parts before being absorbed. Most species do not have the power of movement, but some of the European plants are able to curl the margins of their leaves to prevent the loss of prey items and enzymes.

Cultivation.

Temperate (Hibernacula forming species).

These are all European Species and as such are hardy in our climate. To survive the winter they form a tight hibernacula (winter resting bud). In the spring they resume growth and begin to flower. They should be kept wet during the the growing season by standing in a centimeter of rain or distilled water, and during the winter dormacy should be kept just damp. They succeed in a 50:50 mix of moss peat and lime free horticultural sand though some species will also grow well with the addition of crushed limestone or tufa if from a calcerous environment.

They appreciate a bright position but with protection from strong, direct sunlight.

Pinguicula grandiflora (Large Flowered Butterwort).

A native to Southern Ireland and continental Europe, this plant has also been introduces in to Northern England. It produces a flat, pale yellow-green star shaped rosette to about 10 centimeters in diameter. It's flowers are a beautiful shade of purple with a white palate, and are produced singly on scapes to about 12 centimeters in height. These begin to grow with the first leaves of the season.

Pinguicula vulgaris (Common Butterwort).

Pinguicula cyclosecta

Found across the UK and Europe, this species is sometimes known as the bog violet. It is similar in form to P. grandiflora, but produces a smaller flower with a larger rea of white on the palate.

Mexican species.

Far from being the inhabitants of wet seeps and hillsides like their European cousins, the Mexican species are typically found on seasonally wet and dry north facing hillsides in often calcerous soils.

In cultivation they should be grown in a bright position with protection from strong direct sunlight. During the summer growing season they should be kept in a thin (0.5 centimeter) film of rain or distilled water, while the plants are in full growth. During the winter dry season, the plants produce a tight succulent rosette which is an adaptation employed to prevent dessication.

At this time the leaves are much reduced, and in many species are covered in fine hair. The coming of the spring rain triggers the production of the much larger carnivorous leaves. As these plants need to dry out over the winter, they like an open compost consisting of equal parts perlite, vermiculite, horticultural sand, plus the addition of a small amount of moss peat. Never water the plants during the winter, but they do appreciate a daily spray from a hand mister, to emulate the nightly mists they would see in the wild.

These mists provide the plants with a source of moisture by forming droplets on the hairs found on the leaves. As the droplets develop they trickle downwards and in to the rosette.

Flowering time varies from species to species, with some producing their blooms during the growing season, some during the dormant period, and some at any time of the year.

Pinguicula moranensis.

This beautiful species is both common in cultivation and easy to grow. It produces a large rosette typically 12-15 centimeters in diameter, though plants grown in shade can be considerably larger. It's size means that it is good at catching small flies and insects and indeed has been grown by orchid growers for many years as a means of controlling white fly.

It is a forgiving species which in some clones will grow continuously throughout the year if the compost is kept sufficiently moist, and rewards the grower with many flowers over a long period. These are typically a dark pink in colour with a white palate and can be 2-3 centimeters in length, though some individuals may be light pink to almost purple and a pure white form 'var. alba' also exists.

Pinguicula agnata

Pinguicula agnata.

Another fairly variable species, Pinguicula agnata in it's typical form in cultivation,

produces an apple-green rosette of fairly narrow leaves to 10-12 centimeters in diameter. It's flowers are produced throughout the growing season and are round in shape.

They are predominately white with a blue/violet blush around their margins.

This blushing varies between clones and can be much darker and more pronounced in some individuals.

Pinguicula lauana.

Pinguicula lauana Flower

A handsome species which produces surely the finest flowers in the genus-up to 3 cm in height anf in the type form a stunning pillar box red. The red tinged rosettes are to about 15 cm in diameter.