Pinguicula caerulea Walter. Common name: Blue Butterwort. Phenology: (Jan-) Apr-May. Habitat: Pine savannas and wet pine flatwoods, mostly in the outer Coastal Plain, rarely extending inland to seepages and sandhill-pocosin ecotones in the fall-line Sandhills of NC and SC. Distribution: Se. NC (Carteret and Johnston counties) south to s. peninsular FL, west to e. Panhandle FL.
Origin/Endemic status: Endemic
Other Comments: Schnell (1980a) discusses populations with white corollas.
Synonymy ⓘ: = Fl6, GW2, K4, RAB, S, WH3, Schnell (2002b); Pinguicula elatior Michx. Basionym: Pinguicula caerulea Walter 1788
Show parent genus | Show parent in key(s)
Wetland Indicator Status:
- Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: OBL
- Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: OBL
Heliophily ⓘ: 8
Hover over a shape, letter, icon, or arrow on the map for definition or see the legend.
© Alan Cressler: Pinguicula caerulea, Gopher Tortoise Bog, Easter Plantation, Brooks County, Georgia 1 by Alan Cressler source | Original Image ⭷
© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
© Floyd A. Griffith | Original Image ⭷
© Alan Cressler: Pinguicula caerulea, St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, Wakulla County, Florida 3 by Alan Cressler source | Original Image ⭷
© Alan Cressler: Pinguicula caerulea, Gopher Tortoise Bog, Easter Plantation, Brooks County, Georgia 3 by Alan Cressler source | Original Image ⭷
© Floyd A. Griffith | Original Image ⭷
© Alan Cressler: Pinguicula caerulea, Orchid Bog, Easter Plantation, Brooks County, Georgia 1 by Alan Cressler source | Original Image ⭷
© Alan Cressler: Pinguicula caerulea, along U.S. 341, Wayne County, Georgia 1 by Alan Cressler source | Original Image ⭷
© Aidan Campos source | Original Image ⭷Feedback
See something wrong or missing on about Pinguicula caerulea? Let us know here: (Please include your name and email if at all complicated so we can clarify if needed.) We greatly appreciate feedback, and will include updates from you in our next webapp update, which can take a few months. If a species is not keyed, that's because keying is ongoing. Please don't send us feedback about unkeyed species.
Horticultural Information
Intro: Scapose, carnivorous perennial found in pine savannas and wet pine flatwoods, mostly in the outer Coastal Plain, rarely extending inland to seepages and sandhill-pocosin ecotones in the fall-line Sandhills of NC and SC.
Stems: Stem a single, hairy flowering scape arising from the basal rosette of leaves.
Leaves: Leaves basal, in a rosette about 5 in. wide, oval with curled up margins, fleshy, yellowish-green and oily feeling.
Inforescence:
Flowers: Flowers held singly at top of scape, mostly at a right-angle to scape; pale blue to violet veined with darker violet; about 1 in. wide; bilaterally symmetric and tubular, with 5 spreading, notched corolla lobes, a hairy lump on inside bottom of the throat, and a backward-pointing spur.
Fruits:
Comments: Insects are trapped on the upper surface of leaves, which secrete a musty-smelling mucilage and digestive fluids.
Height: to 8 in.
plant sale text:
bloom table text:
description: Scapose, carnivorous perennial found in pine savannas and wet pine flatwoods, mostly in the outer Coastal Plain, rarely extending inland to seepages and sandhill-pocosin ecotones in the fall-line Sandhills of NC and SC.
stems: Stem a single, hairy flowering scape arising from the basal rosette of leaves.
leaves: Leaves basal, in a rosette about 5 in. wide, oval with curled up margins, fleshy, yellowish-green and oily feeling.
inflorescence:
flowers: Flowers held singly at top of scape, mostly at a right-angle to scape; pale blue to violet veined with darker violet; about 1 in. wide; bilaterally symmetric and tubular, with 5 spreading, notched corolla lobes, a hairy lump on inside bottom of the throat, and a backward-pointing spur.
fruits:
comments: Insects are trapped on the upper surface of leaves, which secrete a musty-smelling mucilage and digestive fluids.
cultural notes:
germination code:
native range: NC, SC, GA & FL
0 unsaved edits on this page.