Pinguicula (Butterwort) Care Guide

How do you care for Pinguicula?

Pinguicula, also known as butterworts (or “pings” for short) are some of our favorite carnivores, beloved for their sticky succulent-like leaves that trap insects like gnats and mosquitoes. They are also fairly easy to grow, making them the perfect houseplant for both beginner and seasoned growers alike, given the right care. 

In this guide, we will cover lighting, watering, temperature, humidity, soils, feeding, and dormancy for the petite, pest-eating Ping.

But first: what kind of Pings are there?

Before diving into Pinguicula care, it’s important to recognize that there are a few different types: Mexican and Temperate. 

Each requires slightly different care, so knowing which kind you have is essential! 

Most of the Pinguicula that we carry (and the most common) are Mexican Pinguicula (or Mexican butterworts). These are native to Mexico and the surrounding areas. 

Mexican Pinguicula include Pinguicula gigantea, Pinguicula ‘Aphrodite’, Pinguicula ‘St. Elmo’s Fire’, Pinguicula ‘Leilani’, Pinguicula esseriana, and Pinguicula moranensis, to name a few!

Temperate Pinguicula, also referred to as bog Pinguicula, are native to the less equatorial areas in South America, the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia. These Pings slightly differ from their Mexican counterparts in substrate, lighting, and watering, as well as in their dormancy requirements. 

Temperate Pings can be divided into two subtypes: warm-temperate and cold-temperate. Warm-temperate remain in their carnivorous state all year-round, while cold-temperate die back to a hibernaculum every winter during dormancy—but more on that later!

Temperate Pinguicula notably includes the Pinguicula primuliflora, the only temperate Ping typically sold by Carnivero.

Above from Left to Right: An assortment of Pinguicula primuliflora sit in trays; trays of Pinguicula primuliflora show off their flowers

Pinguicula Light:

Mexican Pinguicula thrive in bright windows or under grow lights. Outdoors, they do best on a shaded patio with morning or afternoon sun. Avoid full-day sun, especially in intense summer climates. 

Use grow lights with 30-200 PPFD for 14-16 hours daily to enhance their colors (this translates to about 20 watts per square foot of growing area). In winter, reduce the photoperiod to 12 hours. To learn more about grow lights, check out our guide!

Temperate butterworts can tolerate brighter light.

Above: Trays of butterworts in our storefront sit happily beneath our grow lights. 

Watering Pinguicula: What kind of water do I use?  

Like all carnivorous plants, Pings need to be watered with only distilled, rain, or reverse osmosis water. 

This is because carnivorous plants thrive in nutrient-poor environments and are sensitive to excess minerals in water and soil. Other water sources, even the cleanest tap water, may contain too many minerals and could harm the plant over time. Note that boiling your water or using pour-through filters do not filter the water adequately enough and should not be considered as viable alternatives. 

Watering Pinguicula: How do I water them?

All Pings, no matter which type, should be bottom watered using the tray method. Place the pot (or lava rock, if they are growing on one) in a tray and fill with 1-2 inches of water. 

The type of butterwort you have will determine how often the tray should be refilled:

Mexican butterworts are drought-tolerant. Allow the tray of water to dry out, and after a few days, refill the tray. Avoid top watering to prevent rot.

Temperate butterworts should be kept in water at all times, just like how they would be if they were growing in a bog out in the wild. When you see the water in the tray start to get low, top it off. If you want to encourage the plant to produce offsets (or “pups”) for propagation, you can periodically top water the pot to induce flooding. More on propagation below!

Pinguicula Temperature

Pinguicula thrive in temperatures between 55°F and 85°F. They can tolerate temperatures in the high 90s if their soil is kept moist and they are out of direct sunlight.

Pinguicula Humidity

Pinguicula thrive in drier climates, so unlike other carnivores, like Nepenthes, these plants are perfectly happy in drier or ambient conditions. However, good air circulation is essential to prevent rot and fungal issues, especially in more humid environments.

Pinguicula Repotting: Notice the Roots

Butterworts rarely need repotting, as their root systems are very shallow. 

Above: Notice how shallow the roots on this Pinguicula are. This is typical! It's also not unheard of for a ping to pop out of its soil when you move pots around. Just nestle it back into the soil if this happens! 

Pinguicula Repotting: Soil Mixes

If you want to transfer your Ping to a different pot, plant some together, or propagate leaves, here are the recommended soils for both types of Pings:

Mexican Pinguicula, from central Mexico's mountains, thrive in well-drained, inorganic calciferous soil mixes, primarily composed of perlite, vermiculite, lava rock/pumice, or sand, with a bit of peat or sphagnum moss. They can also grow in crevices of lava rock, pumice stone or limestone with sphagnum moss stuffed around them.

Specifically, we recommend a formula of 2:1:1 peat moss + perlite + sand (or mineral mixes like pumice, perlite, vermiculite)

Here are a couple of recipes to try: 

Pinguicula Mix:

4 parts sphagnum moss

4 parts rinsed coconut chips

6 parts perlite

1 part aragonite

or 

2 parts vermiculite

2 parts perlite

2 parts pumice

1 part aragonite sand

We also sell our Pinguicula mix a la carte on our website and in-store. 

Bog Pinguicula, found in the southern US waterways, prefer moisture-retaining soil like a 1:1 mix of peat/perlite or peat/sand. 

Our Bog mix is a combination of peat moss and perlite, which maintains steady, bog-like moisture levels without quickly breaking down or washing out. This mix is also recommended for other bog plants, like Venus flytraps, Drosera, and Sarracenia.

See our Soil Mixing Guide for more information.

Above from Left to Right: These are the components layer by layer that we incorporate into our Pinguicula potting mix; This bag of mix can be found in-store or online in either quart or gallon bags. 

Feeding Pinguicula: Let Nature Do Its Thing

The sticky leaves of Pinguicula are adept at catching their own food, both indoors and outdoors.

Above from Left to Right: Cricket powder is an easy-to-find product that can be used to supplement Pinguicula feeding; This pinguicula has been given a few sprinkles of cricket powder. 

Pinguicula Dormancy

First, what is dormancy? 

Dormancy is the state plants go into when the conditions around them are not ideal for growth, so they slow down or die back to conserve energy until ideal conditions resume. 

For example, Venus flytraps, Sarracenia, and some Drosera all undergo winter dormancy—the time of year when there is not enough light or warmth to thrive. These dormancies are necessary for the health of the plant and should be allowed or provided yearly (think: less time under the grow light, put in the garage where it’s cooler, etc.)

Pinguicula experience something similar, with few key differences:

Mexican Pinguicula will undergo dormancy during periods of drought. Their dry season in the wild typically occurs in the winter (November through March), but if the summer should experience periods of no rain, they may go into a state of rest then. This is what makes their dormancy different from the others listed above: their dormancy is largely conditional (drought) rather than triggered by the changing of the seasons (winter). 

It is important to note that dormancy is not necessary for these plants! Some growers allow it, as it can trigger more flowering in the spring, but so long as you keep the Ping watered and warm, it will continue to grow and catch those gnats.

If you wanted to induce dormancy, let their tray dry out and allow it to remain dry for 3-4 months before restoring moisture in the spring. 

Dormancy, should your Ping experience it, is marked by a switch from sticky carnivorous leaves, to more compact, dry, succulent-like leaves. Once you begin to water them again in the spring, they should begin to flower and grow those tacky, carnivorous leaves once more. 

In fact, another way to think of Mexican butterworts is as “succulent-forming” butterworts. 

Whether a temperate Pinguicula goes dormant depends on whether it is a warm-temperate (like the southern Primrose butterwort) or cold-temperate. 

Butterworts like the Pinguicula primuliflora do not experience dormancy. These can experience the same care and growing conditions year-round, but may slow their growth during the winter when it is cooler and the days are shorter. 

Cold-temperate butterworts will experience a winter dormancy, dying back to a hibernaculum.

Above: These are colorful, cheerful examples of what Pinguicula flowers can look like. These are from the Pinguicula primuliflora.

Note about flowers: One of our favorite characteristics of Pinguicula is that they produce colorful, delicate flowers—sometimes even several at a time! There is a common misconception in the carnivorous plant world that flowers must be cut (like on a Venus flytrap), but that is not the case! Enjoy them when they bloom!  

Holiday season buyers: If your Pinguicula arrives during winter and it's actively growing, it's best to let it continue. If dormant, expect flowering soon, followed by new leaf growth as spring brings more light.

Propagating your Pinguicula 

Pinguicula are very similar to succulents in that you can remove the leaves or mature clumps and sow them directly into the soil.

If you do plant a leaf or pup, care for it the same way you would a grown butterwort!

Unpacking Your Butterwort

Should you order your Ping from us online, rather than purchase in-store, here is how you can expect your plant to arrive:

Mexican Pinguicula will arrive cushioned with sphagnum moss or damp paper towels. Carefully remove and pot it in your preferred soil (see above). The short, threadlike roots are normal. It may look a little droopy from shipping but will quickly recover with light. Set your tray up for bottom watering. 

For temperate butterworts, like P. primuliflora, pot it up according to our bog soil mix recommendations and set up your tray for bottom watering.

If new growth is browned or blackened, contact us at service@carnivero.com for assistance.

Want to add to your collection? 

Shop our catalog of Pings! 

Want to take your Pings to the next level?

Check out these videos: 

Basic Pinguicula Care (On Instagram)

How to build a Ping garden (On Instagram)

How to build a Bog Terrarium (On Instagram)

Need more information? Check out the Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Carnivorous Plants