Expert: Christopher Littrell - 5/6/2009

Question
Hey i recently bought (in a death cube unfortunately :( :()
two CPs..the one i have a question about is the butter
wort..are there no roots to this plant..the other CPs i
bought have crazy long roots, but this plant lifted right
out of the pot? should i drive ALL the way back there..or
is that normal...im of course going to repot them in the
recomended mix and put them outside and all that jaz..but i
duno if i should go back and get a better one..please tell
me i didnt drive 30 miles for nothing

Answer
Hello Matt,

Butterworts have very weak, small root systems that die back when they go dormant and rot easily if left in standing water. You can just leave the plant in the soil and hope that it regrows its roots. If the plant were watered properly, just moist soil, never too much nor too litle water, and if the plant is not dormant from cold, low light conditions (Temperate Butterworts) or dormant from dry, cool conditions (Mexican Butterworts) it should be growing roots as normal. If someone pulled at the plant it could rip the roots off as they are weak. When repotting Butterworts it is best to remove the entire soil plug from the pot and just fill in sphagnum peat 1/3 to 2/4, perlite 1/4 to 1/3 and vermuculite 1/4 to 1/3 around the plug in a larger pot. You can carefully remove old soil from the plant with a dip in distilled water around the soil plug. The Butterwort family tends to dislike root disturbance and can die easily in some cases of such disturbance.

Keep the Butterwort in partial or shaded light in an East window, under some screens outside or under a patio roof or large tree. Butterworts burn easily in direct sun.

Christopher