Butterwort

Pinguicula gypsicola is a marvelously peculiar Mexican butterwort. It straight-up looks like the kraken emerging from the depths to swallow a ship. Or maybe it looks more like a sarlacc hungry for Boba Fett?

The most popular butterwort in cultivation, Pinguicula moranensis is easy to care for and makes a great candidate for windowsill and terrarium growing. It's a handsome ping and highly variable, as far a butterworts are concerned.

Butterworts are the carnivorous plant equivalent of flypaper. Commonly referred to as “pings” from their scientific name Pinguicula, this name means “little greasy one” in Latin. It is derived from their broad green leaves that are covered with tiny glandular hairs that secrete sticky mucilage, greasy to the touch.

You say "gigantea," I say "gigantic." Pinguicula gigantea lives up to its name as the largest known Mexican butterwort with a diameter of around one foot. This ping is easy-growing, and does well outdoors at the author's Northern California residence.