Pinguicula (Butterwort)

Botanical & Common Names
- Botanical name: Pinguicula agnata / weser
- Common names: Butterwort

Background & Origin
Pinguicula agnata, commonly known as a Butterwort, is a carnivorous plant native to Mexico, where it grows on rocky limestone slopes in warm, humid environments. It forms a compact rosette of fleshy, pale green leaves coated in a sticky substance used to trap small insects such as fungus gnats and fruit flies. During the growing season, it can produce delicate purple flowers that rise above the foliage on slender stems.

Pinguicula 'Weser' is a popular hybrid Mexican butterwort, bred in cultivation and named after the Weser River in Germany. It is believed to be a cross between Pinguicula ehlersiae and Pinguicula moranensis, combining their compact growth and colourful flowers. Unlike bog-loving carnivorous plants, its ancestors naturally grow on rocky, limestone-rich cliffs in Mexico, where they survive in nutrient-poor conditions by trapping small insects with their sticky leaves. Today, 'Weser' is loved for its delicate pink flowers, easy-care nature and ability to naturally catch tiny pests such as fungus gnats.

Care Level
- Care level: Moderate
- Suitable for beginners: Follow care instructions

What It Loves
- Bright warm spot
- Rain water
- Moist soil

What It Dislikes
- Dry soil
- Dark spots
- Tap water
- Being poked and prodded

Best Rooms for This Plant
- Bedroom
- Living room
- Office
- Conservatory

Growth Potential
- Typical height indoors: Up to 10 cm tall with time
- Typical spread: Up to 25 cm wide
- Growth rate: Moderate to fast in growing season
- Pruning required: Occasional, to manage dead foliage

Is This Plant Right for You?
This plant is a great choice if you:
- Love unusual, conversation-starting plants
- Have a bright spot to show it off
- Appreciate plants with personality
- Don’t mind giving a little extra attention

Light
- Best light: Bright warm spot with direct sunlight 4-6 hours a day.
- Avoid: dark shady spot

Watering
- Frequency: Never allow this plant to dry out. Place pot in a saucer of water. Use distilled water or ideally rainwater. Avoid flooding the top of the soil with water- water from below in a dish is best.
- Seasonal note: Reduce watering in winter when growth slows to almost none and keep in a cool place.

Humidity
- Prefers: High humidity
- Extra humidity helpful?: Thrives with added moisture in the air — try grouping plants together, placing in kitchens or bathrooms, or using a humidifier to create a more comfortable, tropical feel.

Feeding
- Feed with: Insects
- Frequency: Feed with insects every 2-4 weeks during the growing season, careful not to over feed. This plants are normally quite good at catching their own insects.

Toxicity
- Pet safe: Yes
- Notes: Keep out of reach of pets and small children to avoid damage

Repotting
- How often: Signs of Overcrowding: Repot when the pot becomes crowded or when the plant outgrows its current container. Use a mixture of sphagnum moss and perlite in a ratio of 1:1.

Autumn/Winter: the plant enters a cooler, drier resting phase, replacing its large sticky carnivorous leaves with a compact rosette of succulent leaves. Keep the soil lightly dry during this period, watering sparingly only when the compost is mostly dry, and always allow excess water to drain away.