Question
primrose butterowort
Allexperts,
This primrose butterwort that I have looks pretty bad. I got it from you guys in the summer. I have growing a 6in pot and in the standard mix for butter worts that you guys sell. I have been watering it with distilled water. I have attached a photo of the plant. I hope I didn't kill it.
Sincerely,
Weylin
AnswerHi Weylin,
Under the best of circumstances P. primuliflora can be a fussy customer. It looks like your plant developed root rot. :(
I only seem to be able to keep them alive long-term by having them in large pots or bog gardens, grown outdoors so they can go dormant. They are a zone 8 plant, and can tolerate temperatures down to 20 degrees for short periods. They seem happiest when grown among Sarracenia so they get dappled shading during the summer. They also seem to appreciate live sphagnum. The sphagnum may help to minimize fungal issues they have.
The good news is that this plant isn't expensive or difficult to find. What you may need to do is play with a few of them and see what works best for you in your particular area. Also some growers find it helps to plant them with a layer of sand on the soil surface to help minimize decay issues. Also try using a more typical cp soil media with some sand added. Our butterwort mix is more formulated for Mexican butterworts which often grow in more alkaline conditions. Pinguicula primuliflora is more of a typical bog species.
Good Growing!
Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com
[ADDENDUM]
Jacob here. I definitely agree with Jeff that even in the best of circumstances, this plant can be quite fussy. Fungus and gnat larvae are very common problems with this plant. Given the looks of the leaves, looks like some sort of root damage occurred.
We've experimented with this species and found that for folks living in areas colder than zone 8, it's best to grow this plant like a Mexican butterwort. A cool south windowsill in winter is sufficient to provide a winter rest.
In regards to soil mix, the current mix is fine for the long term. In fact, this plant grows fine in either the standard mix or the butterwort mix. Naturally, if you choose to grow it outdoors with other carnivorous plants, use the standard mix with additional perlite or sand for extra drainage.
In general, this plant is a bit of an enigma for us. The problem resides in this plant being extremely prone to fungus and sensitive to deep freezes. At our nursery (zone 8), we've had the most success growing this plant outdoors in the standard mix. We have many plants that have lived for 3 seasons exclusively outdoors, surviving overnight temps as low as 8癋 with minimal protection. However, in zones colder than zone 8, this plant doesn't fare very well, even with mulching. For this reason, grow it like a Mexican butterwort or treat it like an annual.
Hopefully in a couple more years of growing experiments we can come up with more conclusive instructions. For now, watch our video podcast on this topic:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fMIi2f4KLA
Good growing!
Jacob Farin
