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A widespread genus of greasy-leaved perennials and a few annuals. Many of the largest and most beautiful come from Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, but many temperate spp. exist too, with 3 spp. being native to or naturalised in the UK.

Cultivation: Mexican spp. - grow on crushed tufa gravel (you can get tufa from good pet shops, and it's easily broken up with a hammer,) in a shallow water tray through the summer. Don't water from October - March. Keep warm and half-shaded. Mist occasionally.

Temperate spp. - use peat:sand mixture standing in water. Full sun. Plants require a dormant period in the winter when they will die back to a tight resting bud. Gemmae (small vegetative buds,) may be produced in the Spring (usually below the soil,) and can be removed and sown like seeds in February. US spp. are not hardy in UK, but European and native spp. can be grown as pond marginals all year, and are particularly effective wedged into gaps between stones.

All spp. are more or less sensitive to root disturbance, though most temperate spp. can be dug up and replanted when dormant, as the roots die off when the hibernaculum is formed. Most spp. can be difficult to germinate from seed - we recommend that you soak the seed for 1-3 days prior to sowing. Some (particularly Mexican spp.,) may respond well to soaking until they germinate, and then sowing.

Mexican sp. producing a rosette of semi-erect, lanceolate leaves after flowering. The flowers emerge from the subterranean resting bud formed by this sp. in the early Spring - a very unusual and pretty effect.

Very hardy temperate sp. that is difficult to maintain in cultivation. 2" rosettes of narrow, elliptical leaves producing yellow-centred white flowers on 4" scapes. Dormant for 8 or 9 months of the year. Ideal cultivation conditions are summer max. temp. of 4-7ºC and very cold winters indeed. Unlike most temperate spp., P.alpina does not lose its roots when dormant - the bud is still extremely sensitive to root disturbance. Only recommended for expert Pinguiculaphiles.

Small (1-1 1/2",) rosettes of succulent leaves, tinging pink in good light and bearing surprisingly (for the size of the plant,) large pink flowers. Highly recommended for beginners.

Another small sp., more compact than P.ehlersae and producing a profusion of attractive lilac and white flowers through the summer months. Very easy - recommended for beginners.

Beautiful, hardy sp. that makes a splendid pond marginal which will rapidly spread to fill any nooks and cracks around the pond by means of copious gemmae production (anything up to 60 or more per plant per winter!) Large, hairy-throated violet flowers in the Spring. Very easy - recommended for beginners.

North American species that seems not to be as popular as one might expect given its attractive flowers. The plant closely resembles P.primuliflora, but does not proliferate so readily from plantlets forming on the leaves, and the flower is white with a yellow throat.

Mexican sp.

Mexican sp. bearing medium-sized red flowers.

Tiny annual sp. Quickly establishes colonies as it is self-fertile and seeds down prolifically to overwinter. Narrow, elliptical leaves turn pink in strong light, flowers are tiny, pink (or occasionally yellow,) and produced in the late Summer. Unlike many Pinguicula spp., easy to germinate. Recommended for beginners.

Exceptionally large leaves (even larger than P.moranensis,) distinguish this plant.

Large, showy plant producing masses of dark pink flowers from Spring to Autumn, and forming a fleshy rosette up to 7" across in time. Very easy - highly recommended for beginners.

Mexican sp.

Another North American species, this one is noted for its habit of producing baby plants on its leaves, so that a fair-sized colony of plants can develop quite quickly in a pot. 3-6" rosettes of pale green leaves. Flowers are a variable shade of lilac with a yellow throat.

Cultivation: acid, peaty soil kept very wet (waterlogged.) half shade to full sun.

Tiny rosettes, no more than 3/4" across, producing proportionally tiny yellow-centred white flowers on short scapes.

Cultivation: as for P.primuliflora but slightly warmer. Like P.primuliflora, P.pumila occasionally produces plantlets from the leaf tips.

Mexican sp.

A little smaller, but in all other respects very similar to P.grandiflora.

Cultivation: as for P.grandiflora.

Attractive hybrid producing very dark pink flowers and diamond-shaped leaves in a compact, semi-erect rosette.