Pinguicula 'Tina' (Tina butterwort) care

Light

Bright but filtered. Pinguicula 'Tina' burns within days in unfiltered south-facing summer sun, and stops growing within months in deep shade. Bright light with some direct sun or a grow-light. Strong light intensifies leaf colour and flowering; deep shade makes leaves stretch and reduces trapping. If you only have a south window, set the plant back 1.5 m or hang a sheer curtain — both knock the intensity down into the right range.

Watering

Watering pinguicula 'tina': keep lightly moist in summer; let the surface dry slightly between waterings in winter. The number that matters isn't the day of the week — it's how dry the top 2-3 cm of the pot feels. A finger in the soil tells you more than a watering app. After every watering, tip the saucer. Tray watering in the growing season; in the winter succulent phase keep nearly dry. More tolerant of mineral water than most carnivores, but rain/RO is still best.

Soil and pot

Pinguicula 'Tina' grows best in fast-draining mineral mix. A gritty, well-drained blend such as 1:1:1 peat, perlite, and sand, or a peat/pumice/vermiculite mix. Unlike bog carnivores it dislikes soggy peat. A pot with a working drainage hole is non-negotiable for this species — even free-draining mix will turn soggy in a closed planter. If you love the look of a decorative pot without a hole, use it as a cachepot around an inner nursery pot you can lift out to water.

Humidity and temperature

Pinguicula 'Tina' sits happiest at around 40-60% humidity and 10-28°C (50-82°F). Average room humidity is fine; it does not need a terrarium. Good airflow helps prevent rot on the fleshy leaves. If you keep the room above 10 year-round and avoid placing the plant near a cold draught, a hot radiator, or an air-conditioning vent, you have already handled the two biggest indoor stressors.

Fertilising

Feed pinguicula 'tina' sparingly. No root feeding. It catches fungus gnats on its sticky leaves; a light dusting of rehydrated insect food or occasional foliar misting with very dilute orchid food is optional but unnecessary. Avoid soil fertiliser. Skip fertiliser entirely on a stressed, recently-repotted, or actively wilting plant — fertiliser salts make damage worse, not better. Wait for a round of healthy new growth before resuming a feeding rhythm.

Common problems

Below are the issues we see most often on pinguicula 'tina' in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

• Leaves rot or go translucent — Overwatering, especially during the winter succulent phase. Switch to a barely-moist, fast-draining regime in winter.
• Leaves lose their sticky sheen — Too little light or the plant is shifting to winter succulent leaves, which are non-carnivorous. Increase light if it is the growing season.
• Stretched, pale rosette — Insufficient light. Move to a brighter spot or under a grow-light.
• Mealybugs or aphids on the rosette — Sticky leaves can still get pests. Remove by hand or use a carnivorous-plant-safe treatment; avoid oily sprays that clog the trapping glands.

Propagation

Very easy from leaf pullings — gently detach a winter succulent leaf with its base and lay it on damp gritty mix, where it sprouts plantlets. Also divides readily as the rosette offsets. Propagation is the cheapest, most satisfying way to expand a collection — and it doubles as insurance against losing a mature plant to an accident. Take a backup cutting once the parent is established and healthy.

Toxicity to pets

Pinguicula 'Tina' is mildly toxic to pets. Pinguicula is not individually listed by the ASPCA, so pet-safe status cannot be confirmed; treat with caution and verify with a vet. No notable toxic principle is documented and ingestion most likely causes only mild gastrointestinal upset, but as toxicity is untested it is prudent to keep this butterwort out of reach of cats and dogs. If you keep cats, dogs, or curious children in the house, weigh placement carefully — a high shelf or a hanging planter is enough for casual safety. For severe ingestion incidents, call your local vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (in the US, 888-426-4435).

Pet-safety status is sourced from the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, which catalogues the most-asked-about plants for cats, dogs, and horses.

Pinguicula 'Tina' deep-dive guides

Every aspect of pinguicula 'tina' care, each with its own calibrated guide:

• Pinguicula 'Tina' watering schedule
• Pinguicula 'Tina' light requirements
• Best soil mix for pinguicula 'tina'
• Pinguicula 'Tina' fertilizing guide
• When to repot pinguicula 'tina'
• How to propagate pinguicula 'tina'
• Pinguicula 'Tina' growth rate & size
• Pinguicula 'Tina' cold hardiness
• Pinguicula 'Tina' temperature & humidity
• Is pinguicula 'tina' toxic to cats & dogs?
• Is pinguicula 'tina' toxic to cats?
• Is pinguicula 'tina' toxic to dogs?
• Getting pinguicula 'tina' to bloom

Featured in these plant shortlists

Pinguicula 'Tina' qualifies for 6 curated Growli shortlists — each one filtered objectively from our structured plant-care library, so the selection is consistent and checkable:

• Best plants for a north-facing window — Houseplants for a north-facing window: bright, even, indirect light and no scorching direct sun. Each pick verified against its documented light needs.
• Best flowering houseplants — Indoor plants grown for their blooms — selected from the flowering species in Growli’s plant-care library.
• Best succulents for beginners — The easiest succulents and cacti to keep alive — selected by documented growth habit, each with the light and watering it actually wants.
• Best small & tabletop houseplants — Compact houseplants that stay under about 40 cm — desk, shelf and windowsill plants that never outgrow a small space.
• Best houseplants for a cool room — Houseplants that tolerate cool conditions down to about 10°C — for an unheated spare room, hallway, porch or a home kept cool.
• Best fast-growing houseplants — Houseplants documented as fast or vigorous growers — quick to fill a pot, cover a pole or trail down a shelf.
• Browse all 29 plant shortlists — pet-safe, low-light, drought-tolerant and more

Related guides

Pinguicula 'Tina' is also commonly called Tina butterwort.

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