Pinguicula caerulea aka Blue Flower Butterwort

Pinguicula caerulea is a small plant called blueflower butterwort. It is a perennial, which means it lives for years. It is carnivorous: it feeds on insects. People also call it blue butterwort or violet butterwort. It belongs to the Lentibulariaceae family. Its home range runs from North Carolina south to Florida. This lies in the subtropical southeastern United States. Wild plants grow in bogs and damp, open pine savannas. They also grow in sandy ditches and sandhill sites. Its range includes sandhills in North and South Carolina.

The plant forms a low rosette, a ring of leaves. This sits just above the ground. Mature rosettes reach about 0.33 feet (0.10 metres) across. Flower stalks rise 0.33–1 foot (0.10–0.30 metres) above the leaves. The leaves are simple, with no separate leaflets. Their colour ranges from pale green to yellow-green. They reach about 0.17–0.21 feet (0.05–0.064 metres) long. Their edges roll upward and may look wavy. Sources say the leaves look like straps. They may instead be broader near their tips. The plant sheds its leaves, and their surface looks shiny.

Tiny glands cover the leaves and give off sticky fluid. Drops of this fluid draw insects onto the leaves. The sticky layer traps small insects and holds them there. Leaf edges can curl around the trapped prey. The plant then gives off enzymes that break down insects. Each thin flower stalk bears one bloom. The stalk has hairs and a sticky surface, but no leaves. Flowers look like trumpets, with clear veins and a spur. Each flower has five lobes, with deep notches at their tips. Their colours range from violet-blue to white. Flowers appear in spring. May to June is the listed main bloom period.

Grow this butterwort in full sun and slightly acidic soil. Keep the soil moist to wet, with a steady water supply. The soil must still drain well. Use a mix of equal parts peat and sand. Water with rainwater or deionized water. Missouri Botanical Garden lists USDA zones 8–9 for hardiness.

The flowers add colour to a small bog garden. Missouri Botanical Garden lists this use. NC State does not recommend it for general landscape planting. These views favour a site that meets its wet-soil needs. Buy plants from growers who leave wild populations untouched. Missouri Botanical Garden reports no major problems with pests or disease.