Pinguicula

Bladderwort family · 122 in this guide

Substrate

Varies sharply by group. Temperate species: two parts peat, one part sand, one part perlite. Warm-temperate species: equal parts peat and sand. Mexican and other tropical species: equal parts sand, perlite, vermiculite and peat, optionally with added lava rock or pumice — or a Nepenthes-style mix.

Pot

Plastic, and preferably wide and shallow — the root system is shallow across the whole genus, so a deep pot serves no purpose and only keeps the soil wet for too long.

Water

Tray method, with regular overhead watering too. Keep temperate and warm-temperate species permanently wet year-round, preferably with cold water; keep Mexican species dry during their winter dormancy (recognisable by the small, succulent-like winter rosette) and only dampen them occasionally; Cuban species stay wet year-round, with only a slight reduction in winter.

Location and light

A mostly sunny spot, doing well on a bright windowsill; under strong fluorescent light many species colour pink to red.

Temperature

Depends strongly on the group. Temperate species need a genuine cold winter dormancy; warm-temperate North American species tolerate light frost. Mexican species need no cold period and do excellently in a terrarium, greenhouse or on an indoor windowsill.

Source: the per-species habitat data elsewhere in this guide, summarised by genus.