Stylidium debile, also known as the Fragile Trigger plant, is a much-debated Australian plant. During its flowering season, the stems of its flowers become sticky traps for insects, making it carnivorous. Because this plant is not carnivorous year-round, it is often considered proto-carnivorous. Regardless of its classification, it’s a really cool and fun plant!
Trigger plants are best known for their unusual method of smacking insects with their pollen. In the center of the flower is a touch-sensitive trigger that hits the insect and dusts it with pollen, or once the stigma is developed, it picks up pollen from the insect.
The rosettes we are shipping will be 1-2” across and flowering size!
Care Instructions
Growth Habit: Small rosettes of elongated, paddle-shaped leaves grow to a few inches across and bloom readily. Tall scapes have multiple small, pink flowers. These plants quickly spread throughout any pot they are grown in and divide rapidly. They die back in winter, reemerge in spring, and bloom almost year-round when grown indoors or in lots of sun.
Sun: Full sun outdoors or indoors on a sunny windowsill or in a terrarium under grow lights. If grown under grow lights, have lights on a 10-12 hour day length and hang 6-10 above plants depending on the strength of light. With proper light, they will bloom almost non-stop. If your plant won’t produce flowers, it may need more light.
Water & Humidity: Always sitting in at least two inches of distilled, reverse osmosis, or rainwater, they prefer deep saucers of water or undrained containers to recreate their very waterlogged conditions. Do not dry out. Keep watered in winter. While they appreciate a little added humidity, they do not need it.
Temperature: 15 degrees - 100 degrees; needs protection from colder winters and always keeps very wet when hot.
Dormancy: None but will die back if kept outdoors for winter and resume vigorous growth in spring.
Soil: The plant comes potted in a custom mix of four parts: peat moss to one part perlite. Repot every 1-3 years, and you’ll find lots of new plants to divide out or to pot into a big pot together. Preferably, use plastic, glazed ceramic, or glazed terracotta pots.
Feeding and Fertilizer: Apply MaxSea fertilizer once per month to the foliage. Dilute 1/4 teaspoon of MaxSea into one gallon of water and then apply with a mister bottle or a watering can.
More Information: For further information on dormancy, repotting, dividing, and more, check out our website or our YouTube channel.
