Pinguicula lutea aka Yellow Butterwort

Pinguicula lutea, or yellow butterwort, eats insects and lives for years. It belongs to Lentibulariaceae, the bladderwort family. It grows wild in the southeastern United States. Records place it in North Carolina and South Carolina. Its range includes Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana too. Kew calls the climate of its range subtropical. It grows in pine savannas and wet pine flatwoods. These sites lie chiefly on the outer Coastal Plain.

Fleshy leaves form a basal rosette at the plant's base. Each oblong leaf has a smooth edge with no breaks. The leaves are yellow-green and feel sticky to the touch. Glands on them make mucilage, a sticky substance that traps small insects. This coating acts as the plant's trap for its prey. As the plant digests prey, leaf edges curl inward. The leaves have no hairs, but the thin green stalks do. Fine hairs coat these stalks, which have no scent. The plant stands upright above its ring of leaves.

Yellow flowers bloom in spring, from March through May. Each bloom grows alone, not as part of a cluster. Each has five sepals and five uneven petals with notches. One petal bends back to form a spur. This gives the flower a clear shape from the side. Fruits called capsules then form, on show from June through July. The blooms draw bees, flies, butterflies, and moths to the plant. These guests add wildlife interest where the plant grows. It both traps insects and draws guests to its flowers.

Grow it in sandy soil that holds few nutrients. Keep the soil moist and acidic, but do not submerge the plant. NC State's growing notes call for part shade. Its light table lists full sun as suitable too. The table defines full sun as six or more hours. It defines part shade as two to six hours. These notes thus allow some choice in how much light it gets.

Yellow butterwort suits bog gardens, pots, and terrariums, or glass plant cases. NC State lists pond sites and rain gardens too. Its native coastal home makes it apt for coastal plantings. The listed sites also include butterfly gardens and native gardens. Yellow spring blooms add color above the sticky leaves. A moist site helps it grow in these settings. Even by a pond, keep its soil above water.