Common Butterwort

Name: Common Butterwort

Scientific name: Pinguicula vulgaris

Category: Flowers

Nature Stars: 80

What are nature stars?

About: An insectivorous plant, the butterwort excretes attractive, sticky fluids onto its leaves which curl around and digest trapped insects. Purple flowers appear May to July.

How to identify: Look for pale green and sticky leaves flat to the ground in a star arrangement around two or three upright flower stalks.

Where: Scotland, Wales and Northern Island have the highest concentration, with some scattered in England

Fantastic fact: The juices of the leaves, if rubbed into the udders of cows, were thought to protect against evil and bad butter.

Photograph credit: Philip Precey