Bladderwort (Utricularia) Care Guide

Light Requirements

Know the correct lighting requirements for your plant. This will be the difference between growing and THRIVING!

Bladderworts need Full to part sun. The more sun they get, the more they will flower. Provide at least four to six hours of direct sun to thrive.

They not only look great in pots by themselves but also make fantastic ground covers for Venus Fly Traps and Sarracenias. These guys will often fill the pot with hundreds of little flowers and is one of the reasons why they are sought after.

For more info on different types of light types, refer to the HOLY COMMANDMENTS Page

Acclimatization

When you bring your new babies home, help them to acclimatize by following this simple step.

In my experience, this plant doesn’t show any distress in new environments.

Place them directly into their new home.

A light spray of Novion onto the leaves will also assist the plant in settling in. (A free sample vial is sent with every order to assist with acclimatization and ease Abiotic stress.)

Watering Requirements

ALWAYS USE PURE WATER such as Rain, Distilled or R.O Water.

Water via the tray method. Keep plant wet but not waterlogged.

Treat them as you would Venus Fly Traps or Sarracenia. It is ok if the tray dries out for a day before refilling, but never allow the soil to dry up.

For more information on Watering refer to our HOLY COMMANDMENTS Page.

Potting Media Requirements

A nutrient-deficient soil is a must for all carnivorous plants.NEVER use soil with fertilizers.

Bladderworts are categorized into 2 types. Terrestrial and Tropical. Terrestrial plants grow well in standard carnivorous soil mix, while tropical ones prefer a looser more airy type of soil like you would use for Nepenthes.

Carnivorous Soil Mix soil mix can be purchased from the Accessories page.

For more info on Soil & Potting refer to the HOLY COMMANDMENTS Page and my BLOG ON REPOTTING.

Feeding Requirements

Carnivorous Plants are formidable hunters and do not need to be fed, but if you REALLY cannot resist...

When grown outdoors they will catch all the food they need. (Sunlight is more important than food as they get most of their energy from Photosynthesis.)

They will also benefit from a mild foliar fertilizer spray like Novion, which can be sprayed directly onto the leaves. If you get too much liquid on the soil, flush with pure water from overhead a day after application

Novion can be purchased from the Accessories page.

Since their traps are underground, and they feed on various fungus gnats and tiny worms, foliar feeding is the only way to supplement feeding for this plant.

Pest Control

Just like any other plant, Carnies are sometimes prone to Pests and Diseases. However there are very effective ways to help them.

The primary pest attacking Bladderworts is Aphids. They tend to attack the green leaves on top of the soil.

Isolate the plant to prevent infecting others and spray with a mild Insecticide.

I recommend Rosecare 3 by Efekto. This utilizes both a systemic and contact approach.

This needs to be sprayed on the plant every week for 3 weeks, and this should solve the problem.

Since most Bladderwort leaves are small and flat on the ground, be careful not to spray too much as this will permeate into the soil, and kill your plant. Always flush the soil as soon as the insecticide dries on the plant leaves.

Temperature Tolerance

Some like Warm Sunny Days, others prefer cool night time temps.

Tropical Bladderworts are native to the Caribbean and America and require warmer. more stable climates, while Terrestrial ones grow in a cooler climates and are most commonly available.

Terrestrial Bladderworts tolerate a wide range of temperatures from nearly 0 to 30 degrees Celcius and higher, whilst Tropical ones prefer a more stable warm climate of around 20 to 30 degrees celcius.

Protect all Butterworts from frost and hard soil freezes.

Winter Dormancy

While some plants grow all year round, for others that Winter Snooze is an absolute necessity. 

The Terrestrial Bladderwort needs winter dormancy and the leaves will die off. Keep the soil damp but not too wet, just as you would a Venus Fly Trap and Sarracenia. (Hence why its recommended they get planted as companion plants)

Tropical ones do not need winter dormancy and will not tolerate cold days, so it is advised to bring them indoors during winter and grown on a warm sunny window.

Refer to my blog for more info on Winter Snoozes.