Utricularia, Bladderworts
Type: Carnivorous | Size: Compact, 1/4 inch
Grow your own Bladderworts carnivorous plants inside a terrarium with these simple tips for care.
How to grow and care for Utricularia (bladderworts)
Utricularia is a huge, worldwide genus split into terrestrial, affixed-aquatic and free-floating species. The terrestrial tropical ones, such as Utricularia sandersonii, U. livida and U. bisquamata, are the terrarium favourites and the focus here. They grow in permanently wet, boggy ground and catch tiny soil organisms in bladder traps you will never see with the naked eye.
Best terrarium setup for Utricularia (bladderworts)
Terrestrial bladderworts thrive in a closed or partly closed terrarium, a covered bog pot, or even the wet margins of a mixed carnivorous setup. They love permanently saturated soil and high humidity, so a sealed jar that stays damp is ideal rather than a problem. They spread into a living green carpet and are happy tucked around larger plants.
Light
Bright but not necessarily direct light. A spot near a window or under a moderate grow light keeps the carpet dense and encourages the flushes of flowers, which are the real show. Very deep shade thins them out.
Temperature and dormancy
Tropical terrestrial species have no dormancy and are happy at steady warm room temperatures, roughly 18 to 28 degrees C, which is exactly what a closed terrarium provides. Temperate species do need a cool winter rest, so check which type you have before you buy.
Watering
Keep the soil wet to sopping at all times, using only rainwater, distilled or reverse-osmosis water. The classic method is to stand the pot in a tray of that pure water so it wicks up and never dries. In a sealed terrarium the trapped moisture usually keeps them wet on its own.
Humidity
High humidity suits them perfectly, so a closed terrarium is ideal. This is one carnivore that genuinely thrives in the still, humid air of a sealed jar.
Feeding
You never feed bladderworts. Their bladder traps automatically capture tiny soil and water organisms such as protozoa and rotifers, all of which are already present in living terrarium soil. Just keeping them wet keeps them fed.
Common mistakes to avoid
The main mistakes are letting them dry out, using tap water, and assuming all bladderworts are tropical when some are temperate and need a winter rest. Give a tropical terrestrial species wet peaty soil, pure water and warmth and it will look after itself.
Is Utricularia (bladderworts) right for your terrarium?
Bladderworts are the easiest carnivorous plants to keep in a closed terrarium, and one of the most rewarding for flowers. The traps are microscopic and hidden in the soil or water, so you never see the hunting, but you do get carpets of tiny leaves and cheerful blooms with almost no effort.
Where to buy Utricularia:
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