Pinguicula "Estrellita"

Estrellita means "little star" in Spanish, and that is exactly what this plant looks like from above: a compact, symmetrical rosette of narrow leaves radiating from a tight centre. It is a modern hybrid raised at Rainbow Carnivorous Plants in the US, crossing the small Mexican P. ehlersiae with the tropical P. mesophytica from Central America, borrowing the neat geometry of the first and the intense flower colour of the second.

The two parents come from very different places. P. ehlersiae is a tiny high-altitude butterwort from the dry hills of San Luis Potosí in northeast Mexico, used to a strict dry winter. P. mesophytica lives much further south, in the humid cloud forests of Guatemala, Honduras and Chiapas, and barely slows down in winter. The hybrid sits between the two: compact like a Mexican ping, but more forgiving about water and happy to keep growing year-round.

Rosettes reach 4 to 6 cm across, made up of narrow, pointed succulent leaves that flare open into a star. Under bright light the foliage flushes through pink into deep wine-purple, especially at the tips and margins. Flowers are violet-purple on slender scapes, showing the influence of P. mesophytica's intensely coloured blooms. No strict dormancy is needed: in cool, drier weather the plant will tighten into a small succulent rosette on its own, then push out carnivorous leaves again when warmth and moisture return.