Want to grow a carnivorous plant, but something OTHER than the venus flytrap or pitcher plant?
Enter the butterwort!
This carnivorous plant catches flying insects passively by sticking to them with its coated leaves.
It’s unique because it’s both a decorative plant and a succulent depending on the time of year.
So you really get to experience two plants in one.
(Oh, and it’s also a flycatcher).
Ready to learn how to grow and care for butterwort?
You’ll be glad you did!
These things are going to be your new BFF, especially if you have flying insects in your house!
Guide Contents
Quick care guide: Butterwort
| Plant type | Perennial carnivorous plant |
| Origin | Central America |
| Scientific name | Pinguicula |
| Other names | Five fingered ivy, Victoria creeper, Boston Ivy, five finger, or woodbine |
| Soil type | Butterworts, Pings, Flytrapper |
| Soil pH | 7.0-8.5 (acidic to alkaline) |
| Sunlight requirement | For zones 10-11: Full sun, at least 6-8 hours per day. For warmer zones: Part sun |
| Bloom season | Early spring to summer |
| Colors | Orange, yellow, pink, green, red, bronze, purple, red, blush, white |
| Max height | 6 inches |
| Max width | 3 inches |
| Low temperature tolerance | 50F |
| High temperature tolerance | 95F |
| Ideal temperature range | 75-85F |
| Humidity | High (80% or higher) |
| Watering requirements | For regular watering: 1 of water per week, water at the base using RO or distilled water only. For classic setups: suspended in 2-3 cm of water in a tray |
| Fertilizer requirements | Optional |
| Plant food NPK | 20-14-13 |
| Days until germination | 14-30 days |
| Days until harvest | Not harvestable |
| Bloom time | June, July |
| Speed of growth | Fast |
| Hardiness zones | USDA hardiness zones 1-10 |
| Plant depth | From seed: 0 inches, no need to bury seeds For divisions/leaf pulls: Fleshy part of foliage should be buried under soil line |
| Plant spacing | 3-5 inches |
| Plant with | Sedum Echeveria Lithops Sundews Picther plants Utricularia Flytraps D. schizandra D. prolifera Other butterworts or succulents |
| Don't plant with | Plants that have opposing husbandry requirements |
| Propagation method | From seed, leaf pulls, division, pre-grown from nursery |
| Common pests | Spider mites, fungus gnats, aphids, or whiteflies. |
| Common diseases | Leaf spot Leaf rot Root rot Powdery mildew Crown rot |
| Indoor plant | Yes |
| Outdoor plant | Yes |
| Grown in container | Yes |
| Flowering plant | Yes |
| Beginner friendly | Yes |
| Care level | Moderate (Acceptable for beginners) |
| Best uses | Decoration, succulents, windowsills, patios, counters, succulent baskets, insect traps |
What’s butterwort?
Butterwort is a carnivorous plant (Pinguicula or “ping” for short), similar to the Venus flytrap which is commonly sold in stores in those small plastic cylindrical tubes.
There’s also the pitcher plant which is also passively carnivorous. Butterwort isn’t nearly as popular as the flytraps or pitcher plants because it hasn’t been nearly as commercialized as them.
But they offer their own unique little tidbits that make them an exciting project for kids.
It’s also known as Mexican Pinguicula, where it grows in seasonal fog forests on limestone cliffs in the wild. The plant is found natively in moss, cracks in the stone, or on cliffs with lots of shade.
There are over 80-some species in the subgenus with plenty of variation between each plant. This also means that each species has its own care needs and will differ between them. There are both Mexican and tropical varieties.
The butterwort, similar to pitcher plants, catches insects passively.
This means it doesn’t actively “move” or “bite” insects to catch them. It’s commonly found in the southeast of the US, with over 80 species. They’re found on every continent except Australia. They grow in the northern hemisphere and half are in Mexico and Central America.
These tiny plants are often unremarkable until they bloom.
Never use insecticides, fungicides, or pesticides on butterwort!
Never use any kind of spray on butterwort.
The plant is extremely sensitive to compounds and will wilt if used. Pinguicula can’t even tolerate dirty water- it needs distilled water! So it’s not going to handle any kind of compound bug spray.
What does butterwort look like?
The appearance of Pinguicula isn’t obvious. It’s largely boring until it flowers.
The leaves are green or yellow, which gives it the “butter” in the name. The leaves are slightly greasy or oily to the touch, which has a buttery feel to them.
It’s a crawling plant that forms rosettes and will bloom with pink, purple, white, or yellow flowers in the springtime where it passively catches insects.
There are so many variations of butterwort- everything from purple to blue to pink. The shape of the foliage also varies between each plant.
The leaves are slimy in the summertime, but because of succulents in the winter. Did you know that only the summertime leaves are carnivorous?
Butterwort likes warm humid conditions in the summertime. In the winter, they prefer cooler and drier conditions. This is why they make excellent houseplants that can be placed next to a sunny windowsill.
Their care requirements are very similar to African violets.
What does it eat?
Butterwort doesn’t “eat” insects. It passively catches them by their own mistake!
In other words, the plant’s leaves have this special coating on them that sticks to insects. When the insect touches it, it has a hard time escaping it.
This then provides food for the butterwort to digest, such as nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. The bug of choice is gnats.
If you look online, you’ll find a lot of controversy between gardeners. There’s plenty of disagreement on how to grow and care for butterwort:
- Is butterwort REALLY a bog plant?
- Can you use the standard CP mix as soil?
- Should you keep the soil moist or wet?
It really varies depending on the type of species you’re growing. There are even hybrid species.
Is butterwort easy to grow?
It’s easy to grow, but hard to fully master. That’s the easiest way I can phrase it.
Butterwort is easy to grow. It finds itself in the homes of people looking for some kind of “fun” plant that has some neat ways of consuming prey.
With the right soil, watering regimen, and diet of bugs, it is a hardy little perennial that doesn’t need to be purchased every season, unlike venus flytraps or pitcher plants.
Of course, kids are the primary demographic for butterwort. So they may need some help getting their green thumb into play.
It’s fairly self-sufficient once it becomes established. If you have a gnat problem inside your home, butterwort can help catch them passively!
The plant can be grown both indoors and outside, but for optimal growth, it should be planted where it gets natural sunlight.
The plant will bring in tiny bugs with its colorful flowers and dark green foliage, both of which bugs love. The insects will come to the plant and get stuck on the slimy coating, to which then the butterwort slowly digests the insects that are caught.
But some things can be tricky:
- Watering the RIGHT amount (matching the watering method/frequency to the soil)
- Using the RIGHT substrate
- Keeping temperatures/humidity stable
If one of these variables is off, it can harm the plant. For example, if you water the right amount but the soil doesn’t uptake it at the right speed, it can pool. Pooling is bad.
It can lead to root rot or fungus. Since they can’t tolerate fungicides, you’re screwed. You’ll have to prune it off and reduce watering to get rid of the pathogens.
How to propagate butterwort
There are three primary ways to propagate butterworts.
They’re all easy to do, but some will get your plant going quicker than others. They each have their own business.
For example, leaf pulling will help your plants get a head start compared to starting from seed or by division. But it can only be done in the spring after it flowers.
Seeded plants will also have more variability, so you don’t know what you’re getting. Leaf pulling always produces the same plant. Let’s cover each one in detail.
Starting from seed
Starting from seed is the most rewarding. You get to see everything from seedlings and beyond. Buy a packet of seedlings for your local nursery or online.
There are so many species of butterwort. You’ll need to do your own research to see which one thrives in your hardiness zone. Some hybrids combine features from two or more species! See the next section for more info.
When you finally decide on one, it’s time to sow! First, read the package. The instructions you get from there override anything you read online.
- Next, get a pot and fill it all the way to the top leaving just about 2 inches from the rim.
- Use your favorite soil mix. It just needs to be well draining. There are recipes for making your own substrate growing medium for butterwort in the “soil” section of this guide.
- Use 1-2” of sphagnum moss on the bottom of the plant. Then put 0.5 inches on top.
- Use chopped sphagnum to help keep the moss fine. Place the seed on the surface of the substrate. Don’t bury it.
- Water the soil until it’s moist. Cover with a dome or plastic bag to help keep it mid.
- Place the pot under grow lights. Keep the temperature between 60-80F. Provide at least 8 hours of light per day. Keep the moss moist 24/7.
- Don’t let it sit in water, as some people recommend. This just encourages fungus to grow. If the moss becomes dry, water from the bottom.
- Never water the seedlings because fungus can kill them. The seeds should germinate within 2-4 weeks.
- When they’re about a half inch across, they can be moved to their own containers or in a big pot for multiple butterwort seedlings.
Leaf pullings
Leaf pulling will create clones of the original host plant. It requires an existing plant to take the pulling from, then using the leaf to produce an exact specimen that you can replant elsewhere.
The right time to take a leaf pulling is at the end of winter dormancy-right before the plant starts to produce new foliage for the spring. The leaves are in the succulent period, so they’re easy to remove and plant.
Find an older leaf that’s fully grown on the outside of the rosette. It should be an outer edge leaf. Gently pull it off the plant so it snaps off. If it rips in half, it’s no good. Use a whole leaf only. If you use partial portions, it may not root correctly.
Place the leaf on the surface of the potting substrate. The sticky side should be facing upwards. Let it sit. Over time, a new plant will grow from the leaf pull. While it’s slow, it’s still much quicker than starting from seed. Plus, you know what you’re getting.
Butterwort division
Butterworth will split by itself into multiple rosettes in the spring. This occurs after the butterwort becomes established in its home.
When the new buds grow out, they split automatically. The rosettes produce their own sts of leaves.
When this happens, uproot them and divide them. This produces identical plants to the original butterwort. It’s as easy as it gets.
Types of butterwort
There are over 80 species of butterwort in existence. Half of them are in Mexico and Central America. Here are some of common species of butterwort.
Popular species:
- Pinguicula laueana
- Pinguicula ehlersiae
- Pinguicula esseriana
- Pinguicula jaumavensis
- Pinguicula immaculata
- Pinguicula kondoi
Other species:
- Pinguicula moranensis
- Pinguicula agnata
- P. moranesis
- P. grandiflora
- P. primuliflora
- P. potosensis
- P. ramosa
- P. elizabethiae
- P. conzattii
- P. toldensis
- P. laxifolia
- P. moctezumae
- P. alpina
- P. potosiensis
- P. chuquisacensis
- P. rotundiflora esseriana
- P. agnate
- P. vulgaris
- P. gigantea
- P. longifolia
As they all have their own unique features, it’s worth your time to check them out so you know what you’re getting into. I don’t mean literally read about each one- but look up some cool pics of butterwort and then go from there.
How to grow butterwort
This section covers the basic care guidelines for growing butterwort.
It’s simple to grow, requiring very little care once it’s rooted. It does have a few quirks though- specifically the soil type and the watering regimen.
You’ll find everything you need to know in this care sheet. Questions? Post your comments at the end of this guide.
I’m not claiming to be an expert- that wouldn’t be the point for writing on Gardenisms. These are more of general care guidelines.
Hardiness zone
Butterwort grows well in the southeastern regions of the US, where it’s found natively in the boggy marshes.
The plant can be grown as an annual in a container if you’re outside of zones 10-11.
Within those zones, it can be grown as a perennial so you don’t need to replant it yearly. It grows rosettes to propagate itself for the next season.
Soil
Similar to other carnivorous plants, butterwort prefers boggy soil conditions. The nutrients are generally poor with warmer temperatures, and high humidity.
The soil should be alkaline (higher pH) with plenty of moisture. This is where peat moss comes into play.
Use peat moss, vermiculite, or sand. You can also combine them in equal parts to make your own soil. This will help keep the substrate moist to the bog-like conditions it prefers.
You can make your own soil by using the following formula for Mexican or temperate species using some basic ingredients from your local nusery:
- 1-2 parts peat moss (organic)
- 2 part sand (rough/coarse, limestone)
- 2 parts perlite (organic)
- 2 parts vermiculite
- 1 part potting mix
The peat is highly acidic, so you use sand to raise its pH of it to become more alkalinity. Dolomitic lime is also excellent for the mix (use one tablespoon per 2-3 cups of sol). Some soils will come with pH adjusted so you can use that to your benefit.
Worm castings are also good. They can help fertilize the soil. Mineral soil mix is good if growing inside containment, like greenhouses.
Pumice, vermiculite, orchid bark, or even just regular potting soil. There are tons of resources online you can read to make your own soil mix. Avoid using excess fertilizer as it can burn them. Light soil fertilization is key.
Some people like lava rock or gypsum.
Oh yeah- Vermiculite will become slimy over time, so you’ll need to replace it. Just FYI.
Butterwort pH
Butterwort prefers alkaline soils over acidic soils.
You can check the acidity/alkalinity of your soil by using pH test kits (see Amazon). If your pH is too acidic, you can make it more basic (alkaline) by using soil amendments to raise the pH. Limestone works well. You can even make your own amendments with baking soda.
Aim for a pH value of 7.0-8.5. Butterwort won’t grow optimally if the substrate is too acidic, so avoid it!
Spacing
Butterwort plants should be spaced at least 2-5 inches between each plant. If planting multiple species in a single pot, give them enough space so they can thrive.
If you want to get that fuller look, use compact varieties. This lets you pack them closer together. You can achieve the same look as those decorative succulent baskets you see in garden centers.
For bigger varieties, give them enough space to grow.
Packing them too closely together will lead to competition for nutrients, poor evaporation, and smaller blossoms.
Depth
If you’re starting from seed, just place each seed on the surface. No need to bury it. Just place it on the moss and you’ll be good to go.
For divisions, just replant the new rosettes into the soil with just the exposed flesh side under the soil line. The same goes for pulls. No need to do any soil firming either.
These plants will easily root if conditions are good. You can get multiple plants from one single butterwort.
Fertilizer
Butterwort doesn’t need special plant food or fertilizers. As long as sufficient insects are provided, the plant should thrive given that the light, temperature, and humidity are correct.