Byblis aquatica Potted
The aptly named Byblis aquatica grows in areas that seasonally flood, often in places where the plant would be entirely underwater for periods! It develops a long stem that floats in these submerged periods but is generally a smaller plant, only a few inches tall. Aquatica is a beautiful species with a red-purple tone underlying its sparkling dew and charming purple flowers.
Please note that these are annuals and will die back in cold weather. Be sure to harvest the seed to make more plants!
The plants we are shipping will be 1-2” in size.
Please note: Shipping can be hard on the sticky dew covering the leaves, so your plant may arrive without dew. It can take a few weeks for the plant to produce more dew. If it has not produced dew after four weeks, you may need to increase light.
Care Instructions
Growth Habit: These plants grow semi-upright to upright with many leaves off the main stem. They are small, delicate, and scrambling. The leaves die back over time, and new ones grow. The roots are often white to tan to dark brown. These plants flower prolifically and produce seeds. B. liniflora and aquatica self pollinate and all other species will need to be pollinated to produce seeds.
Sun: These are best grown in warm greenhouses. They can also be grown in full sun indoors on a very sunny windowsill, where your plant will receive direct sunlight. They will also do well under grow lights on a 10-12 hour day length. They can also be grown outdoors in full sun during the spring and summer, with protection from the height of the summer sun, particularly in more tropical areas. They appreciate a more humid environment, so it is best not to grow them outdoors in very hot AND dry climates.
Water and Humidity: Always sit in at least two inches of distilled, rainwater, or reverse osmosis water. These plants are susceptible to their water quality and do not like minerals and salts in their water. These plants appreciate humidity of 50-80%.
Temperature and Dormancy: Ideally, 60 degrees—80 degrees. However, it can take temperatures up to 100 degrees, but only for short periods. No dormancy is required.
Soil and Repotting: We prefer a mix of two parts sand to one part peat. You do not need to repot your plant when you receive it from us, and we recommend against repotting. These plants have sensitive roots and dislike repotting intensely; they can die from a well-meaning repot! Soil can also develop a swampy smell, especially right after shipping, when the plant is wrapped in plastic and sealed. This is normal; these plants grow naturally in bogs and swampy conditions, and peat moss can develop a bit of an anaerobic smell, but this does not indicate a problem with the soil.
Feeding and Fertilizer: They will significantly benefit from foliar fertilization. Apply MaxSea fertilizer 1-2 times per month to the foliage only. Dilute 1/4 teaspoon of MaxSea into one gallon of water and then apply it to the leaves with a mister bottle.
More Information: For further information, check out our website or our YouTube channel.