BUTTERWORTS (Pinguicula) – cultivation guide

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The easiest butterworts to grow are Mexican species, which tend to flower more frequently and reach larger sizes than temperate species. A key factor in their cultivation is maintaining a consistently slightly moist substrate.

For watering, it is best to use distilled water, rainwater, or reverse osmosis (RO) water. As a last resort, boiled and cooled tap water can be used.

These plants tolerate a wide range of light conditions, but we do not recommend south-facing windowsills, where intense summer sun can be too harsh. East- or west-facing windows are generally ideal.

Butterworts can also be grown outdoors from May to October. When doing so, choose a location where the plant is not exposed to direct sunlight all day—for example, partially shaded during midday by a tree or shrub. However, complete shade should also be avoided. On north-facing windowsills, plants may remain completely green and take on a shape more resembling lettuce than a carnivorous plant 🙂

Butterworts tolerate typical indoor temperatures well, both in summer and winter, although some species prefer temperatures not exceeding 25°C.

In winter, Mexican butterworts enter dormancy, producing small, non-carnivorous leaves that are unable to catch and digest insects. Carnivorous leaves are formed again in spring. In winter dormancy time for some species is reccomended temperatures about 5-15*C and dry substrate.

Do not fertilize artificially. The best source of nutrients is captured prey, while in the absence of insects the plant continues to grow through photosynthesis.

The optimal substrate for the most popular Mexican butterwort hybrids (Weser, Tina, Sethos, Tempa) is a mix of high-quality acidic peat with perlite or fine gravel in a 1:1 ratio. These plants have very small root systems and do not require frequent repotting.

For rarer species, we recommend specialized mineral substrates, with or without calcium (depending on whether the species prefers calcareous conditions). Information about suitable substrates is usually provided in the descriptions of individual plants in the “Products” section.

Example substrate for more demanding, calcium-loving butterworts:

A mix containing equal parts of:

perlite, vermiculite, volcanic lava, sand, and peat,

with the addition of small amounts of dolomite and powdered calcium carbonate
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