Blooming bladderworts

Today, I discovered that my small pot of Utricularia warburgii is sending up flowers.

U. warburgii is a bladderwort (so named because of the tiny subterranean bladder-like traps) native to SE China. I've had the plant for nearly two years, but this is the first time it is blooming. It did not bloom until I put it on directly on the windowsill last summer, where it experiences seasonal variation in temperature and photoperiod. It could be that this particular species needs seasonal cues to bloom. In any case, it's blooming now and the flowers are very pretty.

Utricularia flowers are very small (this one is about the size of a pencil eraser) but their delicacy is reminiscent of orchids. They aren't very popular, which is a shame because the terrestrial varieties are quite easy to grow, don't take up much space, and will reward you with lots of flowers.

U. sandersonii

U. livida

U. pubescens

U. chrysantha

U. blanchetii (with a Nepenthes ventricosa x talangensis)

Terrestrial bladderworts are not demanding. Grow them in a mix of peat and sand or perlite. As with all carnivorous plants, do not use substrates containing fertilizers and always use pure, e.g. distilled, water. Bladderworts like wet feet, so grow them in undrained containers (I use yogurt cups) or place pots in a dish of water. Some species are reliably floriferous, like U. livida, others need a little coaxing to bloom. Though not as showy or recognizable as the sundew or Venus fly trap, these diminutive plants will brighten your windowsill with scores of charming blossoms.