UTRICULARIA


These are the ones that best hide their carnivorous habits since their traps are underground (sometime underwater). The most interesting parts of them are their numerous small flowers as nice as orchids flowers. Their traps are difficult to see except for the aquatic ones. I grow up few different kinds, all inside at the beginning. They fit well to terrarium.

They often have their own and mysterious growth cycle that can go from season to bi-annual cycle. Most of the time you won't see any difference in their shape or habit during this period. With difficult species it's really important. If you don't follow this cycle the plant will die. Unfortunately you will have, like me, to experiment it yourself because there is not much "litterature" on the topic.

- Utricularia amethystina grows easily with high humidity level but die easily too with too much water.

- Utricularia asplundii is not the easiest onec

- Utricularia bremii is an affixed or suspended aquatic.

- Utricularia calycifida not the easiest one, take care of its growing conditions.

- Utricularia dichotoma often hold two wonderful twin flowers (purple).

- Utricularia dimorphantha is a Japanese aquatic that is unfortunately nearly extinguished.

- Utricularia gibba is an aquatic utricularia really easy to grow.

- Utricularia lateriflora is a small Australian one.

- Utricularia livida flowers less longer and with less flowers than U.sandersonii.

- Utricularia longifolia is perhaps the utricularia which has the longest leaves.

- Utricularia nephrophylla is a delicate plant from Brasil.

- Utricularia praelonga is holding too very nice yellow flowers.

- Utricularia prehensilis is an african one.

- Utricularia pubescens has funny shaped leaves.

- Utricularia sandersonii the most common easy to cultivate and its flowers are very nice.

- Utricularia steyermarkii this one likes altitude and much water.

- Utricularia striatula has very nice flowers too and seems to be quite rare.

- Utricularia subulata seems to be shiny with its tiny leaves but take care it will grow over...everywhere.

- Utricularia tricolor as its name says has a 3 colours flower.

- Utricularia uliginosa is an Australian one with wonderful smal purple flowers.

- Utricularia warburgii a chinese one rather easy to grow.

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Utricularia amethystina :

Temp. (°C / °F) Light Climate Origin Remarks
min. max. Half-shade Tropical to subtropical Central and south America Numerous flowers
16 / 61 35 / 95

The whole plant At first there was no difficulties. It has grown well and bloomed. But at the end of summer I was near to lost it after it started rotting perhaps because of the long and warm nights. In fact I think I didn't give it its summer rest in drier condition and with cool nights. The next spring I have only two small leaves left.

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Utricularia asplundii :

Temp. (°C / °F) Light Climate Origin Remarks
min. max. Full sun, half-shade Tropical to subtropical West of south America Epiphyte
16 / 61 35 / 95

A leaf and a scape Unfortunately this one was not a success... After a good start and the growth of a flower scape it suddenly rotted. I wasn't able to do anything to get it back. I kept it too damp at the beginning of summer and after it was too late.

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Utricularia bremii :Photos

Temp. (°C / °F) Light Climate Origin Remarks
min. max. Full sun, half-shade Temperate Europa Aquatic, winter dormancy
0 / 32 30 / 86

plant with numerous traps I've started its cultivation from turions a kind of dormant bud that appear in winter to allow the plant to survive in cold water. It looks like a big seed that you have just to put in water in March (I keep it in the fridge during winter). The plant grows again very quickly like U.gibba but its traps are bigger and its leaves more developed. The nearest specie is U.minor. It looks like it so much that it's very difficult to make a difference between the two of them. The difficult part in its cultivation is to obtain turions. The cooling must follow the natural condition of the plant. If not turions will be weaken. Because of this and my subtropical condition it's rather difficult for me to keep it healthy all year round. Most of the turions are smaller than they should be.

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Utricularia calycifida :Photos

Temp. (°C / °F) Light Climate Origin Remarks
min. max. Half-shade Tropical Guyana, Venezuela, Surinam warm and humid all year round
16 / 61 35 / 95

The whole plant with flowers 130 Coming from South-America it likes high air humidity level, wet ground, heat and not too much sun. It needs bright conditions but not sun. Its large green leaves have then some purple strips. To keep it in a flat (rather dry) I put the pot in a large tank so there is any evaporated water around it. I put it behind a west oriented window with little temperature variation. In these conditions it grows quickly all over the pot. Its flowers are numerous (not as many as U.sandersonii) it seems that they are self pollinated since I obtained some seeds (20% of flowers). Flowers are opening one by one on each flowering stick so you can have it for few months. It grows so much that the traps (on roots) are going out in the water from under the pot! To keep this high growing rate it seems that the temperature and high humidity of a terrarium are best but at the condition you provide fresher nights and watering.

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Utricularia dichotoma :Photos

Temp. (°C / °F) Light Climate Origin Remarks
min. max. Full sun, half-shade Warm temperate Australia, E. and S. coast + Perth Often overflowed during blooming
8 / 46 35 / 95

Flowers 187 It's an easy one. It needs much water all the time. To obtain its nice flowers you will just have to alternate barely wet and sunny periods with overflowed ones. The flowers on top of their long stalk are really pretty. In winter you just have to avoid them catching cold and you will have no difficulties in its cultivation.

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Utricularia dimorphantha :Photos

Temp. (°C / °F) Light Climate Origin Remarks
min. max. Full sun, half-shade Temperate Japan Aquatic
5 / 41 30 / 86

A new branch This is an endemic specie from Japan. I grow it in an aquarium and always keep it in warm condition. In nature it will produce some turions during winter. You have to take at autumn because with temperatures dropping down and shorter days it will start to rot and produce its turions. If this transition is too fast or not cold enough it could not produce turions and die. It will be really easier to keep it warm. In good condition it will quickly over grow the aquarium. Its best temperature is between 25 and 30 °C (76 to 86 °F). Flowers are not easy to obtain with artificial light. At this time I succeed in cleistogamous flowers only.

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Utricularia gibba :Photos

Temp. (°C / °F) Light Climate Origin Remarks
min. max. Full sun, half-shade Warm to cold temperate Near everywhere Aquatic
5 / 41 30 / 86

It quickly grows over the whole water surface! Its flower. This one is an aquatic one and has appeared from nowhere in one of my aquariums. One branch or too were mixed with another plant I bought. In fact I'm not sure of the specie. It proliferates so much that I had to regularly thrown it away by handfull in order it didn't cover the whole area of the aquarium. Outside, in a pot, it has flowered when water level go down. Its flowers are nice yellow ones. With artificial light it can flower too when it covers the pot and the level of acid water is low. The interest is that you con observe the trap from nearer and see it working if you have some daphnies or something else to give it (it's eating my fishes food!).

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Utricularia lateriflora :Photos

Temp. (°C / °F) Light Climate Origin Remarks
min. max. Full sun, half-shade Warm temperate S.E. Australia, Tasmania Numerous flowers
8 / 46 35 / 95

Its tiny leaves. I grow it from seeds without any difficulties. The firs year there is nothing interesting. It grows slowly over the pot. As its leaves are small enough it won't cover all the pot. The second spring it bloomed. Flowers are not numerous but each one produces a lot of seeds.

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Utricularia livida :Photos

Temp. (°C / °F) Light Climate Origin Remarks
min. max. Full sun, half-shade Tropical Mexico, tropical and south Africa, Madagascar Numerous flowers, sometime annual
10 / 50 35 / 95

Flowers. It has the same nature as U.sandersonii. It appeared to me that it likes more water. It grows faster over the pot but its flowers are less numerous and not so nice (shape is more simple). The colour is the same, a white background with a part of light purple. It depends on the exposure to the sun. In fact it's not very often in direct sunlight. I give it a bright space but in the shadow. Flowering period is longer than U.sandersoni but flowers last shorter. I put it in the same pot as U.sandersoni in a wide pot each at its corner but they didn't stay there a long time. It was like a fight for territory. They mixed together that is not so bad when they flower. But at the end they were in competition to have space that makes them growing slower and have less flowers.

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Utricularia longifolia :Photos

Temp. (°C / °F) Light Climate Origin Remarks
min. max. Full sun, half-shade Highland tropical Brasil Lithophyte or terrestrial
8 / 46 35 / 95

Whole plant This one too I grow it from seeds. The first year nothing much happened. Leaves stay small. The second year leaves start getting considerably longer. I tried it in pot and terrarium but results are similar. Whatever the available space is it will grow over all. In the terrarium it has produced more 40 cm leaves (1.3 feet). Unfortunately I've never succeeded in obtaining flowers. Recently I have started cultivation of the 'forgetiana' variety that is said to flower easily. We'll see.

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Utricularia nephrophylla :

Temp. (°C / °F) Light Climate Origin Remarks
min. max. Half-shade Warm temperate, highland tropical Brasil Perhaps lithophyte
8 / 46 35 / 95

Leaves of U.nephrophylla It's an epiphyte or rather a lithophyte (that lives on rocks) that has specific needs. It enjoys a high air humidity level and a shaded light. I don't master its cultivation yet and sometimes I have some troubles with it. It seems that it appreciates temperature dropping down at night and that during summer heat it should be kept in drier pot condition. But I seriously need to improve my experience with this one.

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Utricularia praelonga :

Temp. (°C / °F) Light Climate Origin Remarks
min. max. Full sun, half-shade Highland tropical Brasil, Paraguay and north Argentina Overflow from time to time
8 / 46 35 / 95

First leaves are short It's not really a difficult one. I have tried it in a terrarium and in pots with different pot mixes and with more or less water and light but in all the cases it has thrived. Much water is appreciated and it will grow faster like this. When it has grown enough it starts producing long leaves in accord to its name. Even if it's an easy one I have not yet succeed in obtaining flower. It's perhaps another mysterious cycle.

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Utricularia prehensilis :

Temp. (°C / °F) Light Climate Origin Remarks
min. max. Full sun, half-shade Tropical to subtropical Tropical and south Africa Keep wet all year round
16 / 61 35 / 95

U.prehensilis It's not a hard one, it will easily grow over the pot I have not yet obtained flowers. I keep it with much water and it grows very well. About bloom I think there is something to do like a dry/wet cycle with long enough daytime.

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Utricularia pubescens :

Temp. (°C / °F) Light Climate Origin Remarks
min. max. Full sun, half-shade Warm temperate to tropical Inde, tropical Africa and S. America Lithophyte or terrestrial
8 / 46 35 / 95

Mushroom like U.pubescens'leaves. This one is rather funny. Its leaves look like small bright green mushrooms. It doesn't grow very fast but will cover the pot anyway. Because I didn't care of it for a while I was near to lost it. With the heat the peat had started rotting with the plant. Hopefully I saw it in time and potted it in new and fresh peat. Since that it grows well again. I have not yet obtained flowers.

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Utricularia sandersonii :Photos

Temp. (°C / °F) Light Climate Origin Remarks
min. max. Full sun, half-shade Warm temperate South Africa Lithophyte, numerous flowers
8 / 46 35 / 95

Bleu type flower Rabbit like flowers Without doubt it's the easiest to grow and to find in a shop. It's a creeping plant that grows rather fast when conditions fit to it becomes really invasive. If there is no flower you only see green flour. During flowering period that lasts from few weeks to few months it's a field of flowers (in small size). And its flowers look like the orchids ones that make it very interesting. Its small size (in fact it takes the area of the pot you give it) allows you to keep it easily in a flat. I grow a bleue form with a little larger flowers. The classic form is purple.

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Utricularia steyermarkii :

Temp. (°C / °F) Light Climate Origin Remarks
min. max. Half-shade Highland tropical South America Lithophyte
8 / 46 35 / 95

U.steyermarkii It's not the easiest one. But at spring and with much water it grows fast enough. After it flowers at the end of June when days are longer. Then you will have to keep it drier as it takes a little summer dormancy. At this time you have to take care of mould or rotting of the plant.

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Utricularia striatula :Photos

Temp. (°C / °F) Light Climate Origin Remarks
min. max. Half-shade Highland tropical Tropical Africa, China, Taiwan, Philippines, Malaysia, New Guinea, India. Lithophyte or epiphyte, drier during dormancy
8 / 46 35 / 95

Its small round leaves This small utricularia isn't the easiest one. Its leaves become yellow easily. It's probably due to lack of humidity in pot and air too. I grow it in a terrarium and sometime overflow it. In winter (warm) it produces yellowish cleistogamous flowers that provide some seeds. Stable condition seem to be better appreciated. Flowers could be of very different size, they are white with some purple and yellow in the middle. I slowly improve its growing condition. High air humidity is necessary but I now keep the pot drier just above the water level or sometimes few millimeters only in the water. I water it from above and spay it often.

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Utricularia subulata :Photos

Temp. (°C / °F) Light Climate Origin Remarks
min. max. Full sun, half-shade Warm to cold temperate Near everywhere Cleistogamous flowers, annual
5 / 41 35 / 95

Small yellow flower This utricularia is a weed. It appears in my pots from nowhere. Its leaves are so small that it's really hard to see them. In winter there are many cleistogamous flowers that produce lots of seeds. So it reproduces itself very quickly. Its flowers are yellow and pretty nice. It flowers every year at spring after I kept it in cold (10 °C, 50 °F) and dry condition during winter. When heat and sun come back I water it more and it produces numerous normal flowers.

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Utricularia tricolor :

Temp. (°C / °F) Light Climate Origin Remarks
min. max. Full sun, half-shade Warm temperate Argentina, Bolivia, Brasil, Colombia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela N/A
8 / 46 35 / 95

Big leaves of U.tricolor Nothing special. It grows easily with much water and if air humidity is sufficient it will even grow outside the pot. But too much light and lower humidity leaves tend to dry out. Though it is not difficult to grow I have not yet seen flowers.

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Utricularia uliginosa :Photos

Temp. (°C / °F) Light Climate Origin Remarks
min. max. Full sun, half-shade Warm temperate India, Thailand, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Japan, Australia (S.E.and N.W.), New Caledonia. Some don't flower, annual
8 / 46 35 / 95

Its small leaves Though there is an annual cycle it's not a very difficult one. When it grows fast at spring I keep it wet, near to be underwater. Then in June, I have just to lower water level and it flowers. It has wonderful small flowers that produce seeds easily. Hopefully as it is an annual plant. By switching between completely wet periods and barely damp ones you can have flowers till late in the season. In winter it is near to all disappear. The first year I thought I had lost it. It grew again everywhere in the pot. It has even grown in the nearest pots around... But I always keep some seeds in the fridge in case of.

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Utricularia warburgii :Photos

Temp. (°C / °F) Light Climate Origin Remarks
min. max. Full sun, half-shade Warm temperate, subtropical China (Lu-shan) Keep wet to overflowed
8 / 46 35 / 95

Small but wonderfull flower of U.warburgii This small Chinese one is rare enough in cultivation but it is as easy as U.sandersonii. It flowers less but its flowers are really wonderful! There isn't any particular difficulty and I hope it will become common in amateur's cultivation.

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Last modification on Saturday 08/02/2008
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