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Slender Bladderwort

Utricularia subulata

Family: Lentibulariaceae Native

Slender Bladderwort is a short-lived native carnivorous plant that is the most widely distributed plant in the Utricularia genus. In NC it is found in the coastal and sandhills areas and less frequently in the Piedmont and southern mountains. It prefers sandy peaty soils that are consistently moist. This tiny plant is nearly impossible to find until it sends up its small bright yellow flowers. If conditions are good the flower will be open and attract insects for pollination. If conditions are not ideal the flowers will be closed and it will be self-pollinating. The carnivorous bladders are underground and attract microscopic critters for food. The leaves are few and at the base of the plant. More information on Utricularia .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 41 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Optimal soil pH Acid (<6.0)
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; Native Plant
Life cycle
Perennial
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Soil drainage
Moist | Occasionally Wet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Linear
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Simple alternate basal leaves are green and slender
Flower color
Gold/Yellow
Flower shape
Cup; Lipped; Tubular
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Yellow flowers with 4-5 fused petals in a cup or tubular shape that bloom from March to July.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit detail
Fruit displays from June to September.
Stem color
Green; Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
The stem is a wiry peduncle from 2 inches to 5 inches tall.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Tropical and subtropical North America
Distribution
AL, AR, CA, DC, DE, FL, GA, IN, LA, MA, MD, MI, MO, MS, NC, NJ, NY, OK, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA
Wildlife value
This plant attracts bees, flies, butterflies and moths.
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies; Moths
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Coastal; Pond; Riparian
Landscape theme
Butterfly Garden; Native Garden; Rain Garden; Water Garden
Garden tags
#NC native #native carnivorus plant #fly friendly #Coastal OBL #food source nectar #food source summer #Piedmont Mountains OBL #butterfly friendly #Audubon #carnivorous #bee friendly #wet soils intolerant #moth friendly
Problems & Resistance
Resistant to
Wet Soil
Particularly resistant to
Heat tolerant.

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.