Butterwort (Pinguicula) Care Guide

Light Requirements

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

Butterworts need DAPPLED to VERY BRIGHT LIGHT

They will be happy growing on a windowsill that gets a few hours of the morning or late afternoon sun. Avoid direct afternoon sun as this will burn your plant.

If growing outdoors, a bright patio or verandah is ideal. They will also thrive in a shade house growing under 40 to 50% shade cloth.

Some plants will get a beautiful pink blush to the leaves. This is their version of sunscreen, to protect from too much sunlight. This is normal, and in fact, makes them look even more beautiful. The brighter the light you give, the more intense the “Blush” will be. Just be mindful of burning the leaves.

For more info on the 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.

Butterworts do not tend to show much sign of distress when shipped or relocated.

However, considering the “stress” the plant has gone through during shipping, it is always advised to place them in an area that gets bright dappled light or morning sun only, for a week before moving them to their new spot. This will allow the plant to adjust more easily to the light levels. Lower leaf death may occur, this is natural, but once acclimatised, new growth will be prolific.

I always spray a little Novion onto the leaves to give them a boost. (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.

MEXICAN BUTTERWORTS DO NOT LIKE TO BE WATERLOGGED. Avoid leaving the pots in trays of water. Out of all the carnivorous plants, they prefer being more on the dryer side of damp since they more related to succulents. Keeping the soil too wet, will cause crown rot and the plant will die.

Water them via the tray method, but use only enough water in the tray to last about a day. Then leave the tray to dry for a good few days before refilling. Do not let the soil get dry, but do allow the soil to become only just damp before watering again. Soil must be damp at all times, NEVER WET, but also never allowed to dry out completely. DAMP IS BETTER THAN WET! Keep this in mind and you will be fine. (Temperate Pings require constantly wet soil, so ensure you know they type of Butterwort you have)

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.

Butterworts prefer a more sandy mixture that remains moist but never water-logged. 1 part carnivorous soil mix to 1 part silica sand works well.

This creates a nice water-retentive mix but allows for maximum drainage.

Butterworts have a VERY small root system, so be gentle when repotting or moving. Due to this, you should never need to report, unless the plant itself gets too big for the pot and the leaves outgrow the diameter.

Carnivorous soil mix for Butterworts 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.

Goldfish flakes, crushed into a powder and sprinkled on the leaves are a great way to feed Butterworts. However, this is only necessary if they do not catch enough food.

If you do not see their leaves littered with hundreds of tiny corpses, then it’s okay to feed, but you will be amazed at how much they can catch by themselves.

Pest Control

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

There are very few pests that attack Butterworts.

The most common pests are slugs and snails, but they usually move on after taking a few bites.

A few snail pellets around the base of the plant will help, but the damage done by snails is usually insignificant.

Temperature Tolerance

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

Butterworts do best with warm summers and mild winters. They prefer consistent temperatures of around 20 to 25 degrees.

Plants can tolerate higher temperatures, so long as the soil is kept wet during the day, but not waterlogged.

They are not tolerant of frost and temperatures near freezing, so it is advised to bring the plant indoors or store in a heated greenhouse during this time.

Winter Dormancy

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

Butterworts require a winter dormancy period, and the leaves will change from dewy carnivorous leaves to smaller succulent type, non-carnivorous leaves.

When this happens, reduce watering until the carnivorous leaves grow back in Spring. It is fine to let the top few millimetres of the soil dry out completely during this time, but never let the entire pot get dry.

Refer to my blog for more info on Winter Snoozes.