Bladderwort
Utricularia vulgaris
Family: Lentibulariaceae
What it is like
Utricularia vulgaris is a PERENNIAL. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5. It is in flower from July to August. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid soils and can grow in very acid soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It can grow in water.
Height (m): 0
Where it is found
Ponds, lakes and ditches, usually in relatively deep water.
Europe, including Britain, from Norway south and east to N. Africa, temperate Asia.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 1
Root. No more details are given, but the root can be up to 1 metre long though it is rather thin. Another report says that this is a floating aquatic plant with submerged root-like capillary branches. Leaves. No more details are given. The juice of the plant is drunk for its rich mineral content.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Drink: not including plant saps, tea or coffee substitutes.
Medicine
Rating: 1
The whole plant is mildly astringent, diuretic and vulnerary.It is used as a poultice on wounds.
Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
Vulnerary: Promotes the healing of wounds.
Other
Rating:
How it is grown
A free-floating water plant, it requires acid conditions and is most commonly found in deep water. This species can become a noxious weed in rice paddies. An insectivores plant. The plant possesses bladders with trap doors. Most of the water is pumped out of the bladder, resulting in a lower pressure inside the bladder than outside. When a tiny (usually microscopic) creature touches one of the trigger hairs on the door, the door opens allowing water to rush in and carry the animal with it - the process taking just a small fraction of a second. The trap door closes and the animal is digested by the plant. An aggregate species.
Propagating it: Seed - we have no information for this species but suggest sowing the seed as soon as it is ripe on the surface of a pot of acid compost that is immersed in water. Division should be possible in the growing season.
Best place to grow: Pond;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 4-8
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Water