Utricularia caerulea is a small carnivorous plant that grows in wet environments. The species is particularly common on wet rocks near streams, commonly found with other
Utricularia spp.. The ecological niche of the species is somewhat similar to that of
U. bifida. Both plants are usually not submerged and growing in relatively drier habitats near streams.
U. caerulea bears flowers in late summer, autumn, and winter. The species
has two different flower colours, white and purple. Both variations are quite common in Hong Kong. I found populations of white flowers in a few sites in Sai Kung and on Lamma Island. While I observed populations with purple flowers in Tai Lam, Hong Kong Island and in another site on Lamma Island. Surprisingly, the two varieties doesn't mix together. The two sites on Lamma Island are only a few kilometers apart but plants in a site is either purple or white, not both. It may suggest that different populations rarely cross pollinate, and the seeds do not travel far enough to another stream. Below are some photos I took in various sites.
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| Purple flowers |
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| Fruits |
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| Purple flowers |
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| Purple flowers |
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| Population with purple flowers only |
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| White flower |
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| Population with only white flowers |
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| The damp soil in its habitat |
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