Description
Utricularia longifolia is a terrestrial or epiphyte carnivorous plant native to Brazil. They possess suction traps, called utricles. When the prey touches the hairs connected to the trap’s ‘door’, the trap opens and sucks the prey and the surrounding water inside.
Origin:
Brazil
Description:
- Climate: subtropical
- Life-cycle: perennial
- Shape: erect
- Leaf: long and bright green
- Trap: suction traps, called utricles. When the prey touches the hairs connected to the trap’s ‘door’, the trap opens and sucks the prey and the surrounding water inside
Additional info:
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Care instructions
How we grow Utricularia?
In-vitro plants are acclimated in a Growth Chamber with controlled temperatures and humidity. This indoor setup ensure an easy adaptation to extra-vitro condition, guaranteeing the best conditions for plants in this delicate stage. All plants available at the Diflora shop have been acclimatized for at least 3 months. After this first phase plants are grown indoors year-round at a temperature of 20°C and a photoperiod of 16 hours. Utricularia are placed under 4000/5000 lux produced by LED lights with a colour temperature of 6400K. As with the majority of carnivorous plants, we use distilled water produced by our reverse osmosis system.
Lighting:
Utricularia thrives in environments characterized by diffused light. While it can adapt well to direct sunlight with proper acclimatization, it’s advisable to provide some shade during the warmer summer months to prevent excessively high temperatures that could hinder the plant’s growth.
Watering:
Utricularia likes stagnant water all year round (3-4 cm of distilled water always in the saucer). This serves to faithfully imitate the natural environment in which they live. It is important to use only distilled water or alternatively all waters that have an extremely low mineral salt content. For example rainwater or all condensation water (air conditioner, dehumidifier). It’s important that the conductivity measures below 50 micro-Siemens.
Substrate:
Utricularia does not tolerate nutrients. We avoid peats with neutral pH or nitrogen fertilisers, which are often found in potting soils for acidophilic plants. The peat must be pure, the substrate we recommend is 50% pure acid sphagnum peat and 50% perlite.
Seasonally and temperature:
Utricularia longifolia is topical plant but very tolerant with temperatures.
These genus plants don’t go into dormancy. They can be grown on cool, sunny windowsills, but the best plants are grown in climate-controlled greenhouses or terrariums where temperatures don’t drop below 5-10°C. In winter is very important to protect them from frost.
Additional info:
For more cultivation information visit our care guides or use our plant care support by writing to ilpigliamosche@diflora.it
Source
Diflora started the in-vitro propagation of Utricularia from plant parts that comes from very experienced european growers. Micropropagation allows the preservation of the mother plant genome avoiding contamination and genetic variation caused by traditional pollination followed by seeds production.
Trapping technique
Utricularia possess suction traps, called utricles. When the prey touches the hairs connected to the trap’s ‘door’, the trap opens and sucks the prey and the surrounding water inside.
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