Another ping - and questions

This is my very first ping - given to me as a rootless pup and a "probably primuliflora" tag. A few questions....

Can the pup be left attached for ever? or is it best to cut it off at some point?

Leaf color - do they get more pink with more light? Are these a bit too pink? (ie stressed?)

Leaf type - does this kind have the same type of leaves year round? or should I have different leaves in the winter? (This one had a short "winter" a few weeks ago and we are kinda into spring at my place now....)

And you can see no bugs :-( Well, I suppose it's good that I have no fungus gnats flying around but.... I'm assuming it will be fine without food for a few months?

and this is a then and now pic - May when I got it, and now (Dec). It's about triple the size.

Hello Keyring:

This is definitely a Mexican Pinguicula of some type, *not* P. primuliflora. While I cannot verify its exact identity, there are a couple of things I can tell you about your plant: 1) it loves your growing conditions and is receiving adequate light and 2) its appearance and form have greatly improved since it has been under your care.

Pink-tinged or even solid pink leaves in Mexican Pinguicula are a sign of sufficient light, not stress. Not all Mexican pings have pink-tinged leaves (P. gigantea and some forms of P. agnata, for example, always stay yellow-green colored, regardless of light levels). Others take on more of a coppery tinge.

The pup can remain attached as long as you would like it to remain there. They are very useful for propagation purposes and I am sure it will not be the last pup you will see. I personally tend to like these plants better when grown in groups rather than singly, but that is just my personal taste.

Good growing! :-)



This message was edited Dec 4, 2005 10:54 PM

I've seen many Mexican Pings receiving good light take on that pretty pinkish/red hue which seems to intensify when supplemental fluorescent light is added to the equation. Your Ping looks considerably healthier to me now than it did when you first bought it. And yes, my giganteas and agnatas stay perpetually limey green as mentioned above.

The pup I would personally remove and pot separately because you only have one plant. Sometimes Pinguicula just up and rot for no apparent reason and it might be best to consider bettering your odds by splitting them. That's just me though although I do certainly love to see them grown in groups as suggested above and I will do so if I have say three or more of the same plant. Usually, I give them away though.

Your plant looks awesome! Good for you!

thank you :-)

It's nice to know it's doing well. Especially since I want to get a few more mexican pings in the spring.

I think the guy who sent it to me had it growing under a canopy of nepenthes - probably had enough light at some point, but you know how it goes when you have limited space....

It's a beautiful Pinguicula! I love the pink color they turn when happy.