Cold Temperate Pinguicula

Cold temperate pings don't seem to get enough love and I think there’s a bit of a misconception around them that they are difficult to grow, so people aren’t interested. While yes, they are different than Mexican pings, they are not actually very tricky! On this page I will show how these pings look when actively growing and dormant, and how easy they are to propagate. They come in a variety of shapes and colors, and can add a very attractive splash of color to your flytrap, Drosera, or Darlingtonia bogs as they flower throughout much of the summer.

TLDR: treat them like a bog plant with a bit less sun, and most can handle temps well into the negatives! 

General care

They like it wet, cool, and bright, so perfect candidates  for growing outside in bogs! For substrate, a typical  peat and perlite or sand mix will work well, or a more  mineral heavy substrate similar to what Mexican pings  prefer works as well, assuming they are kept nice and  wet. Lighting can range from full sun to moderate  shade, although protect from heat since the roots like  to be kept cool. Always sitting in water is perfect for them, just like a typical bog plant. If they dry out, it may trigger an early dormancy that can lead to other problems down the road. Temperature tolerance depends on the species, but Pinguicula vulgaris, for example, can easily handle USDA Zone 3, so this is a very hardy group of plants!

       

The growth cycle

Similar to other temperate bog plants, as the days start to get shorter and colder, they will go into a true dormancy (unlike most Mexican pings). The leaves will start looking like brown sludge and a small, green, pinecone-looking hibernacula will appear in the middle. Sometimes this hibernacula will be pretty deep into the substrate! This is likely to protect itself from freezes by getting some insulation from the surrounding substrate. These pings also have a very extensive root system which is Mexican pings certainly do not. 

 

Propagation time!

These pings propagate via gemmae, just like pygmy Drosera. The difference is that their gemmae are around the base of the hibernacula rather than on top of the plant. Do this in the winter when the pings are fully dormant and have no green leaves left. By clearing away the dead leaves, and gently digging into the substrate around the hibernacula, you can easily find gemmae and extract them with some fine point forceps.  


Note the difference between gemmae and plantlets. The plantlets will have roots attached to them that you want to get with the plant if you divide them. The gemmae do not have roots and practically fall off the mother.
Planting the gemmae
I like to place the gemmae facing upwards on a peat-based substrate. Sometimes, the gemmae are extremely tiny though. In this case, I will put a thin layer of very fine sand over the substrate to ensure that A) the gemmae make contact with the damp substrate, and B) I can actually see the gemmae to keep an eye on them. 

Bonus in-situ photos!

Here are some photos of a lovely colony of Pinguicula macroceras growing in Del Norte County, California. As you can see, they grow vertically on a rock wall crammed into crevices, and straight into soft, serpentine soil alongside Darlingtonia californica. I even saw some growing completely submerged! I will make a more in-depth blog post about this site soon.