Utricularia roundup, February 2016

Everyone knows that Drosera is my favorite genus of carnivorous plants. I mean, it's in the name. The number 2 spot goes back and forth – sometimes it's Pinguicula, but lately I think it's been Utricularia. It's funny, because when I was first first starting out I didn't get Utricularia at all. I had no idea why anyone would bother growing such weird, dumb little plants. Incidentally, I still feel that way about the aquatic species (but don't tell anyone).

Why Utricularia? Well, as with sundews it's a big, sprawling, cosmopolitan genus. There's a huge variety out there to explore, and several different cultivation styles to master. And of course, the flowers are a real treat, whether it's cute little spray from the easy terrestrials, or a more impressive display from larger/touchier species. Of course, the fact that very few people seem to specialize in Utricularia just makes them that much more attractive.

In any case, I decided to check in on my collection today. This collection of Utricularia lateriflora flowers got me started with the pictures.

Such delightful purple flowers.

This is one of my favorite species right now. It flowers pretty freely, and the flowers are adorable – dark purple with a white splotch.

Next door, my Utricularia cornigera is doing very well.

Those are some nice-looking leaves.

I'm glad these have recovered from dying back a few months ago. Based on how I've seen new leaves come up on this one, I feel like it would favor an airy LFS planting in a net pot. Maybe I'll do that once it gets a chance to grow in a bit more.

My other plant from section Orchidioides, Utricularia humboldtii, has put out a new leaf.

I like the venation on those leaves.

This one is pretty slow to make new leaves, but I understand that's pretty normal. I should trim all the dead growth and messy stolons to get a better picture of what it looks like. By the way, this plant has been found at elevations of more than 8000 feet (2500 meters). That's really high!

Nearby, the Utricularia heterosepala flower stalk fell over after I jostled it recently.

Man, it would be awesome if another flower popped too.

I'm seriously impressed with this plant. It's been holding both of the flowers for a while now, and there's no sign of giving up. Really fantastic grower, looking forward to getting more blooms from it.

Utricularia calycifida has a somewhat similar flower, although the bloom stalks typically support only one at a time.

This flower has awesome patterning on it.

This is the first time it's rebloomed since the last big show. I really feel like I should repot this plant into pure LFS. It's been so hard to find time to do serious plant stuff like that lately! Alas.

One of the plants that I've never been able to flower is Utricularia praelonga.

This is one of those plants just just hangs out, waiting to do something.

This oddball utric grows two different kinds of leaves, and is notoriously difficult to flower. I've seen some in bloom in cultivation though, and I'm trying to get some tips. The flowers are supposed to be large and yellow.

Utricularia sandersonii is one that flowers for me, but very weakly. This first pot has had like 2 flowers, and is covered in a really robust moss of some sort that I do not like.

Seriously overgrown pot.

Whereas in this next pot, it's definitely losing the fight to Utricularia subulata.

REALLY seriously overgrown pot.

Not sure what the problem is with this one for me. I know people who can't help but get a big carpet of bunnies. Maybe I should try some in a windowsill.

Speaking of U. subulata, my big, proper bloom is looking so good right now.

U. subulata always breaks your heart.

I wish wish wish it would do this all the time. This is a fantastic flower! Ah well. Maybe the fleeting quality of it makes it more special.

One thing I did recently was break up a few of my well-established plants to share around and propagate. Here's my Utricularia gramnifolia getting started again.

Looking forward to this filling in and blooming again.

The submerged aquatic setup in an undrained pot seems to work pretty well for this plant. I suspect a lot of the terrestrials would like this treatment, actually. Might be fun to try them in teacups, like the Carnivore Girl.

This tray has starts from some of the pots I broke up, as well as a couple new specimens I'm just getting started.

So much promise in these pots!

Clockwise from top left: Utricularia 'Betty's Bay' (a large-flowered form U. bisquamata), Utricularia blanchetii, Utricularia fulva, Utricularia pubescens, Utricularia cornuta, Utricularia livida. I've been flooding this tray to try and jump-start these guys.

Finally, I took a picture of some U. bisquamata among my wide-leaf Drosera capensis.

I love how the flowers all face towards the lights.

It's just too cute. Even though it's a weed, it's a wonderful plant. That's true of both of them, actually. No respect at all!

Incidentally, my Utricularia longifolia is blooming. It's not in my collection right now because I brought it for display at the Pacific Orchid Expo. I'll feature that one later.

Utricularia longifolia putting on a show

It's been almost exactly a month since I first noticed a flower stalk on my Utricularia longifolia. Today is the first day with a fully open flower, and man is it pretty.

Beautiful U. longifolia flower.

There are two stalks on the plant, and lots of buds forming.

The stalk is 18 inches (~45 cm) tall!

Unfortunately, I'm dealing with a pretty serious aphid problem right now, and they keep finding their way onto these flower stalks. I've been spraying Take Down around my collection (on the recommendation of Damon Collingsworth at California Carnivores) and hopefully the aphids will get beaten back before they can do too much damage.

In the mean time though, let's look at other Utrics flowering in my collection, because Utricularia flowers are the coolest.

First up, Utricularia subulata and Utricularia calycifida from a recent post.

I like these U. subulata flowers more than the cleistogamous ones (obviously).

U. calycifida looking elegant as usual.

Then a few from today – Utricularia livida, Utricularia bisquamata, and Utricularia sandersonii blue form.

U. livida still blooming up a storm almost a year later.

U. bisquamata amongst the Drosera capensis red form (with a D. capensis 'Albino' weed as well).

Angry bunnies and cleistogamous U. subulata flowers.

That U. sandersonii pot is a bit messy, but at least the angry bunnies are cute.

Pinguicula gigantea is back in action

This last weekend plus I was in Chicago visiting my girlfriend's family and checking out some of the sights (the Chicago Botanical Garden was quite nice). Over the weekend I also reached 100 likes on the Sundews Etc. Facebook page! It was nice for it to coincide with my 100th post. I'm glad so many people like reading about my plants.

My Pinguicula gigantea decided to celebrate by opening up a new flower, the first in several months.

Always the most cheerful bloom in the collection.

I love this plant! It's such a trooper. Although I really ought to separate off those pups so it can divide some more for me. Also I've heard that people have pretty decent luck propagating this one with leaf pulls. We'll see. I always want to be doing more propagation.

On a totally different note, I like to see the occasional Utricularia bisquamata flower.

Itty bitty U. bisquamata flower.

Yeah yeah, it's a weed, but it's a pretty pleasant one. At least the flowers are cute and the "foliage" is reasonably handsome when it's thick.

My Drosera burmannii haven't gotten the memo that they don't need to bloom anymore.

Getting so red!

They are looking pretty healthy though, and have really recovered from the over-blooming of the last couple months. Could afford to be fed; they're getting pretty red.

Drosera ultramafica x spatulata though, is just showing off.

Keep on blooming little guy.

Never stops blooming, but it never matters because this is an incredibly vigorous (although sterile) hybrid. This would make for an excellent beginner sundew.

Drosera madagascariensis is almost done blooming, but the lean is getting pretty serious.

Some serious lean on these D. madagascariensis plants.

I think it's weird that such a frail little plant has such a huge flower stalk. I guess in habitat it must be more of a creeper than an upright species. Just a bit more little guy, you can do it!

Thanks for reading everybody.

Funny leaf in U. livida pot

My Utricularia livida is one of my easiest and cutest plants. It just chills out, and has been blooming away for the last several months, although recently it's slowed down a bit.

The older flower stalks are getting a bit droopy. Still whimsical though!

Recently I noticed a weird leaf down in the pot. It doesn't look like any U. livida leaf I've ever seen before, but it definitely looks like a Utric.

The mystery leaf!

If you look closely there's a second one near the top of the photo. This pot is one of my cleanest – there's no moss or algae to speak of, and nothing except U. livida growing here. Until now, I guess! I wonder what's up. It almost looks like Utricularia calcyfida, but my U. calcyfida has never gotten anywhere near this pot. Mysterious! Guess we'll see if anything else develops.

In other Utric news, I've got a little baby Utricularia biquamata flower in my Drosera callistos pot.

The very tiny and very weedy U. bisquamata.

These are so precious. I should set up a dedicated U. bisquamata pot.