Floating bladderwort is an aquatic carnivorous plant found on every continent except Antarctica. It is a member of the bladderwort family (Lentibulariaceae). It is native to North Carolina. The species epithet is Latin for “gibbous,” meaning inflated one side or pouched and likely referring to the protrusions on the lower lip of the flower. Floating bladderwort generally prefers shallow and slow-moving waters in full to partial sun. This plant can become weedy. It forms mats of crisscrossing, branching, thread-like stolons, each growing to approximately 8 to 10 inches long. They can be free-floating or loosely rooted in the substrate of shallow water. The traps among the leaf-like structures are for capturing tiny water creatures. The small, two-lipped flowers are held above the water and can occur anytime during the growing season. Plants that are rooted in the substrate generally bloom more. It inhabits ponds, lakes, bogs, marshes and ditches. Floating bladderwort is perfect for a pond, bog garden, aquarium or container water garden. As the trapping mechanism cannot be easily observed, they are not as popular as other carnivorous plants in children’s gardens. It is suitable for an aquatic pollinator garden or native plant garden. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems. More information on Utricularia .
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.