Pinguicula Colimensis Care

Pinguicula colimensis is a Mexican butterwort known for its tight winter rosette and sizable gland tentacles. It naturally thrives in gypsum cliffs and can be challenging to grow especially in winter. With this guide, you will learn how to properly care for p. colimensis like a seasoned cultivator.

Pinguicula colimensis thrives in porous soil substrates and under partial or full light. Keep these plants in 55-85 F temperature and 40-70% humidity. P. colimensis does not go dormant in winter, but its carnivorous leaves get discarded in favor of a rosette.

Pinguicula Colimensis Care Sheet

Soil	Silica sand, vermiculite, perlite
Water	Moist soil, purified, distilled or spring water
Light	Bright, indirect light 6 hours minimum
Food	Freeze dried mealworms, fish pellets, small insects
Temperature	55-85 F (12.7 – 29.4 C)
Humidity	40-70%
Dormancy	No, but goes into non-carnivorous succulent phase
Propagation	Leaf pullings

Soil

Pinguicula colimensis prefers low nutrient soil like perlite, vermiculite and silica sand. Other media like sphagnum moss, orchid bark and peat are also suitable. Never use fertilized soil for p. colimensis . The best soil media for these plants are neutral to lightly alkaline. With these the plant will grow faster and healthier.

Most pinguicula colimensis sold online will include a soil mix, or at least offer it as an option. If you want to prepare your own potting media, make sure the ingredients are suitable for butterworts. Avoid those marked enriched or fertilized. If the soil is for regular houseplants, it probably is not suited for pinguicula. The product should specifically state that is is suitable for this type of plant. Whether you are a beginner or advanced ping grower, there are many soil potting media available like Doter Sphagnum Moss Potting Mix.

Once you have planted your ping, the soil needs to be kept lightly damp. Water in spring and keep it constantly moist in summer. Let the soil dry in winter before watering lightly again in spring.

Pot Container

A 3.5 inch pot is large enough for pinguicula colimensis . These plants will grow on a windowsill, terrarium or greenhouse under the right conditions.

These butterworts are sold bare root. It may or may not come with a pot. But that is a not a problem since you can buy one easily.

Once potted, you can place p. colimensis on a windowsill. With enough light, water and humidity the plant will grow. You are not limited to pots or cups as butterworts can also be cultivated on rocks, it is up to you.

Butterworts have small roots and rarely need repotting. In some cases this might be necessary – if the soil breaks down for instance- but it is easy enough to do. Use this guide to help you repot butterworts.

If you decide to grow pinguicula in a terrarium, there are many factors to consider. The size of the terrarium, the humidity, temperature and ventilation among others. You also have to feed your ping since the plant has no way to catch prey.

Water

If you have raised other butterworts before, the watering process will be familiar. If not, here is a quick guide on what you have to do.

When pinguicula colimensis is in its carnivorous form, water the plant regularly so the soil is always moist. Once the plant turns succulent in winter, reduce watering and let the soil dry. Water lightly in spring before resuming normal care in summer.

Distilled water is the best for this pinguicula as well as reverse osmosis and rainwater. Tap water should be avoided because they contain chlorine and other minerals harmful to butterworts. If the chlorine level is low, tap water might be acceptable.

Use a spray bottle and water freely specially during summer. Do not sit the plant in water, however. While pings need water, sitting the pot in tray full of it might be too much. Their small, flimsy roots are prone to decay and overwatering is one of the major culprits.

Light

If you keep the plant in indirect light, everything should be fine. A healthy ping can deal with heat and cold provided it is not constantly exposed. Morning light is perfect for these plans. If it gets too hot at noon or the afternoon, provide some shade.

Just like pinguicula caerulea, p. colimensis grows best in bright indirect light. You can cultivate these plants indoors or outdoors if the environment is suitable.

Artificial lights. Fluorescent and other types of lighting will work with pinguicula colimensis. One we find effective is GE Grow LED Light Bulbs so you can use that.

Position the light so it is about 12-15 inches above the plant. You will probably use these during winter as Mexican butterworts do not go dormant. But they do slow down activity wise, so less lighting is fine. Natural light is still the most widely used for these plants. But artificial lights are a good option during winter or cultivating indoors.

Temperature

Pinguicula colimensis thrives in 55-85 F (12.7 – 29.4 C) temperature. These butterworts cannot live in freezing conditions or temperature above 100 F (38 C).

Light and temperature influence each other. Usually the greater the light intensity, the higher the temperature. These pings benefit from warm, humid conditions, not necessarily hot. P. colimensis can handle 90 F degrees for a few hours, but prolonged exposure is not good for butterworts.

The rule of thumb is to keep pinguicula colimensis around 55-85 F. A few degrees higher or lower is not going to harm the plant. But anything close to freezing or over 100 F should be avoided.

If you live in a tropical climate or the temperature is around the suggested range, your plant will thrive. You can leave the pot outdoors and only bring it in during winter. You can also keep the plant on a sunny windowsill, preferably facing south. If you live in a region where it gets very cold or very hot, it might best to grow pinguicula indoors or a terrarium.

Humidity

Pinguicula colimensis flourishes in low to medium humidity around 40-70%. These plants can handle higher or lower humidity levels if it is in a generally healthy environment.

While most carnivorous plants prefer high humidity, p. colimensis does well in as low as 40%. The plant does a good job of maintaining moisture so higher humidity is not needed. If your ping is outdoors and you are in a warm, tropical climate, the humidity is probably at the right level.

If it is too warm or cold outdoors, you can grow your pinguicula in a greenhouse or terrarium. Use a humidifier so you can set the humidity at the ideal level.

Even if the humidity is somewhere between 40-70%, it does not mean your p. colimensis will automatically flourish. The other environment variables like light, water, soil and temperature have to be at the right levels too.

Nutrition and Feeding

Feed pinguicula colimensis every 1-3 weeks. Aside from insects, other popular food options are fish food, bloodworms and mealworms. Pinguicula can also be fed fertilizer, but only a small amount and it should only be done if you have experience.

To feed pinguicula, drop a few bits of food onto its leaves. Do not feed each leaf, just a few will be enough. If you are giving it bloodworms, add a few drops of water to help the plant with its digestion. Do the same with fish food and any insects you want to give it. This is also suitable for p. debbertiana and other butterworts.

As far as fertilizer is concerned, you should be careful with this. You cannot use fertilizer on the soil, but you can give the plant some fertilizer as food. Give it Maxsea every two weeks but make sure it is diluted in a lot of water. Do not give your pinguicula any more food if you are nourishing it with Maxsea or any other fertilizer.

Dormancy

Pinguicula colimensis does not have dormancy. But during winter a rosette replaces its carnivorous leaves. In other words these Mexican butterworts turn succulent.

When the rosette forms, let the soil go dry. The rosette is partially in the soil so there is a risk that water could induce leaf rot Some growers like to mist their p. colimensis during winter, but it is best avoided. Even a small volume of water might be enough to cause leaves to rot. As spring arrives, water the plant so the soil is lightly damp. During summer you should keep the soil moist at all times.