Carnivore. Insectivore. Bug-killer.
And really kinda cute.
All of these descriptions are accurate for the Butterwort plant (Pinguicula vulgaris). It’s a highly attractive plant with a rosette of soft green leaves and, when flowering, delicate white and purple blooms that are reminiscent of orchids.
As pretty as they are, those leaves are fatal for the small insects that cross Butterwort’s path. They are coated in a sticky, glandular secretion that traps insects. Once captured, digestive enzymes in the plant’s leaf surface break down the prey, allowing the Butterwort to absorb essential nutrients.
Butterwort is relatively easy to care for as long as you give it plenty of light and the right kind of water.
Caring for Your Butterwort
- This plant likes moderately bright light. A sunny windowsill with direct light in the morning or late afternoon is perfect, but direct midday sun might be too much for Butterwort.
- In general, these plants like high humidity, but can survive in drier conditions as long as you don’t let their roots dry out.
- When watering, don’t use tap water as the minerals can burn the roots. Distilled water works well. Also, don’t allow water to collect in the rosettes as this plant is prone to leaf and crown rot.
- Butterwort will thrive in several different types of soil, but peat moss with perlite or an orchid potting mix work very well.
- You don’t have to fertilize Butterwort as it is perfectly capable of catching its own meal. If you think your plant is hungry, give it cactus fertilizer, but don’t put it in the soil – it should be applied to the leaves where the plant digests nutrients.