# Butterworts



## Guest (May 21, 2004)

How would butterworts do in a terrarium? I really think they're pretty cool looking and think they would look nice on a my coco & great stuff background. Would this work? Or would they be better suited to the ground? How much light do they need (direct light, indirect light, partially shade, etc.) ?


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## Scott (Feb 17, 2004)

Since they're a ground plant... I think they'd get trampled.

Unless you found a way to pot it up off the floor somehow.

s


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## Guest (May 22, 2004)

I agree with Scott. I had a couple in my azureus viv once and they were destroyed by constant trampling. I have been wanting to give them another try but will most likely use them in a viv for the smaller thumbnails. 

-Bill J.


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## Ryan (Feb 18, 2004)

It woouldnt be hard, just put a cup in the backround foam, and do it htat way, you probally did that already anyways. But they are fragile and cant take much from what i heard(of course i go by hearsay because i am not a carniv person)/


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## Rain_Frog (Apr 27, 2004)

*P. primuflora.*

Since I'm a CP expert pretty much, I can say butterworts are only a possibility with a few adjustments. I honestly DO NOT recommend butterworts for beginners with CPs. All "flowering" carnivorous plants are touchy. Its best to stick with Nepenthes and small sundews like D. adalae in a dart frog tank.
My question to ask you dudes first, what butterwort species was it? It sounds like you had the rather pathetic P. primiflora. They are widely available, even at hardware stores along with the dying flytraps. They produce pinkish violet flowers that are round with a yellow and white throats. P. primiflora is notorious for being difficult to maintain longterm, even for mainstay CPers. They are also short lived perrenials or annuals native to warm temp regions of US.

These plants also need a ton of light. *Remember, CPs prefer soil low in nutrients and soft, RO water. The minerals from the constant frog droppings, tapwater, etc, are enough to kill any CP in the long run unless its isolated in its own pot. *This butterwort also requires flooding, which is not desirable in a dart frog terrarium. 

Or, were they Mexican species, like P. moransis? They have deep, magenta colored flowers and reduce their rosette sizes in the winter. I very much doubt that, as this is reserved at more specialty CP nurseries, despite their relative abundance.

First of all, you can keep the larger, Mexican butterworts like P. moransis "D form" (dinner plate size) or P. gigantea just fine with adjustments. They will not get trampled. When winter comes, they will reduce their leaves into small succulents, but most of the time it shouldnt' be a problem.

How to grow Mexican pings. They will need to be isolated from the outside soil. They require alkaline soil with vermiculite, perlite, sand, and a small amount of peat for moisture, with good drainage. They need a changing photoperiod that is reduced in winter with drier and cooler conditions. Keep these butterworts only slightly moist, as they will produce their succulent leaves. They also flower at this time.

The real tricky part is getting them near the lights. In Mexico, most tropical pings grow epiphitically, or grow on gypsum cliffs. If you have a rock wall, or a dry cork bark background, or dry foam, you can cut out a pocket and put a small clump the amount for a 2-3 inch pot (pings don't need much soil) of their medium on the background. Keep them no less than 4-5" from the lights. Make sure the cliff pocket has a drainage hole.

Therefore, there is no chance the frogs will trample it. It will also give them plenty of light. remember to always water with RO water, distilled, or Rain. Tropical pings, being opposite of acidic conditions unlike most other CPs, are tolerant of more minerals, but I would still avoid tap if I could. The calcium is actually good for them, but the salt build up may not.

This is just a general caresheet on Pinguicula. Since its best to keep them on the background, you could probably also keep the smaller kinds like P. moransis "G," or P. agnata. If you are interested in growing Mexican pinguicula, I would look up more information, particularly in the book "The Savage Garden"

http://www.californiacarnivores.com
http://www.flytraps.com
http://www.equilibriocarnivorousplants.com


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## Guest (May 24, 2004)

Honestly I cant remmembor what the flower looked like. ill post a pic soon


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