A carnivorous houseplant that hunts fungus gnats: the Mexican butterwort

Every September, fungus gnats come back to houseplant soil. Gardening Know How suggests a more charming fix than yellow sticky traps: grow a butterwort, also called a ping after its Latin name, Pinguicula.

Butterworts are small carnivorous plants. Their leaves grow in neat rosettes covered with a sticky dew that gives them a silvery, sparkling look, and gnats are easy prey. Tiny flowers appear on slender stalks in spring or summer. The article says larger plants will even catch mosquitoes.

Not every butterwort is equally good at it. Mexican, or tropical, butterworts have wide, flat leaves that give gnats more landing space, and they are easier to grow than North American types, which need humid conditions and are prone to rot. Mexican butterworts are resilient enough to sit on a windowsill without much fuss.

The article points to two species: Pinguicula cyclosecta, the purple-leaf butterwort, with deep violet flowers and leaves that can take on a lavender tone, and Pinguicula esseriana, with pale green, pink-flushed leaves and paler lilac flowers. Both grow to about 4 inches high and wide.

I like how this turns a nuisance into a reason to add something unusual to a collection. It is a small, tidy plant that earns its place on the shelf.

Source: Gardening Know How