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Blue Butterwort

Pinguicula caerulea (ping-WIK-yoo-la see-ROO-lee-uh)

Family: Lentibulariaceae Native Herbaceous

Violet butterwort grows in a moist, sandy environment such as bogs and ditches. It is not recommended as a landscape plant. The leaves are covered with tiny hairs that secrete a sticky substance that attracts insects, looks like water droplets. When the insect lands on the leaves, the margin curl and trap the insect. The enzymes secreted will digest the insect. This plant is typically found in the sandhills of North and South Carolina. More information on Pinguicula .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 33 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 4 - Herbaceous
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Carnivorous; Herbaceous Perennial; Native Plant; Wildflower
Life cycle
Perennial
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Sand
Soil drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Available space
Less than 12 inches
NC region
Coastal
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Gold/Yellow; Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf margin
Undulate
Leaf size
1-3 inches long
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Up to 2" yellow-green strap-like, shiny, sticky basal leaves with rolled-up edges
Flower color
Blue; Pink; Purple/Lavender
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Tiny violet flower on a leafless, sticky, hairy stalk. Corolla has five deeply notched lobes and a spur.
Bloom time
Spring
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Southeast USA
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Coastal; Container; Naturalized Area; Woodland
Landscape theme
Children's Garden; Native Garden
Garden tags
#deciduous #carnivorous #native garden #NC native #NC Native Pollinator Plant #wildflower #illustration

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.