Utricularia subulata aka Zigzag Bladderwort

Utricularia subulata is a tiny plant that eats small prey. It belongs to the Lentibulariaceae family. Common names include slender bladderwort and zigzag bladderwort. Kew gives its native range as tropical and subtropical regions into North America. It is not native to Britain or Ireland. In North Carolina, it grows on the coast and in sandhills. Fewer plants grow in the Piedmont and southern mountains. Sources differ on how long it lives. Kew calls it an annual, which lives for one year. NC State calls it a short-lived perennial, which lives more than one year.

This small plant grows upright and has few leaves. Its green leaves are narrow, with no hairs. Each leaf is simple, with one blade. Leaves grow in turn on each side near the base. A thin, wiry stalk, called a peduncle, holds the flowers above them. It stands about 0.17–0.42 feet [0.05–0.13 metres] tall. Stems may be green or have a dark red tint. The plant can be hard to spot before it blooms. Its traps lie below the soil surface. These small bladders catch creatures too small to see. They do not catch large prey you can see.

Yellow flowers bloom from March through July. Each has four or five petals joined together. Flowers may look like cups, tubes, or lips. They span less than 0.08 feet [0.025 metres]. When the site suits the plant, flowers open. They draw insects that pollinate them. In less suited sites, flowers stay shut and pollinate themselves. Bees, flies, butterflies, and moths visit the plant. Its fruits, called capsules, appear from June through September. Thus, it bears both blooms and fruit for part of summer.

NC State calls for full sun and acid soil. This means at least six hours of direct sun each day. The plant likes sandy soil with peat and steady moisture. NC State lists moist soil that may be wet at times. It also notes that the plant tolerates wet ground and heat. These needs suit damp sites, not dry beds. The sources give no frost limits or hardiness zones.

NC State lists native, butterfly, rain, and water gardens as uses. It also lists pond edges, stream banks, and coastal sites. Small yellow blooms and visiting insects give it its main garden appeal. The evidence names no specific pests or diseases. It gives no facts on parts safe to eat or on toxicity.