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Summary

Physical Characteristics

Pinguicula vulgaris is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.1 m (0ft 4in).
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 3. It is in flower from May to July. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs).
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers wet soil.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

Plant Habitats

Bog Garden;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts:
Edible Uses: Curdling agent

The plant can be used to curdle plant milks[46, 61, 66]. The milk is poured over a strainer on which fresh leaves of butterwort have been laid. The milk is then left for a day or two until it sours when it becomes solid like yoghurt and is considered to be most delicious. A small quantity of the milk can be kept to inoculate further batches[183]. Another report says that the leaves are infused in the milk for some time[115].

References More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Antispasmodic Antitussive Homeopathy

Butterwort is little used in contemporary herbal medicine, though it was commonly used in the past as a purgative in Wales[254]. Its main application is as a cough remedy[254]. The leaves are antispasmodic and antitussive[7, 13]. The plant is an effective treatment for whooping cough[7]. Used externally as a poultice, it has a healing effect on the skin[7]. The leaves are harvested in early summer as the plant comes into flower and are dried for later use[7]. A homeopathic remedy is made from the plant[9]. It is used in the treatment of whooping cough and nervous throat irritations[9].

References More on Medicinal Uses

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Other Uses

Dye

A colouring substance is obtained from the leaves[7].

Special Uses

References More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

Requires a boggy soil[1]. Because of their insectivorous habit, plants are able to succeed on soils very deficient in nitrogen. Butterwort is an insectivorous plant, the leaves are sticky and trap insects which are then digested by the plant[7]. Plants overwinter as a tight winter-resting bud with virtually no roots[200].

References Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

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Plant Propagation

Seed - we have no information on this species but suggest sowing the seed in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe in the summer if this is possible otherwise in early spring. Place the pots in shallow water to keep them moist. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first two growing seasons. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division of the resting buds in the winter[200]. Leaf cuttings.

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Native Range

TEMPERATE ASIA: Russian Federation-Ciscaucasia (Ciscaucasia), Armenia, Russian Federation (Tyva, Respublika, Yakutia-Sakha, Irkutsk, Tyumen), Russian Federation (Kamcatskij kraj, Sakhalin), Japan (Hokkaidô, Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku) NORTHERN AMERICA: Canada (Northwest Territories, Yukon, Québec, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta (southwest), Manitoba, British Columbia), United States (Alaska, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Montana, Oregon, Washington) EUROPE: Denmark, Finland, United Kingdom, Iceland, Sweden, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Slovakia, Russian Federation (European part), Belarus, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Russian Federation (Karelia, Murmansk), Ukraine, Croatia, Italy, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, France, Portugal

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so itâ€™s worth checking.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status :

Related Plants

Latin Name	Common Name	Habit	Height	Hardiness	Growth	Soil	Shade	Moisture	Edible	Medicinal	Other

Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

Pinguicula vulgaris - L.