Utricularia foliosa, commonly known as Leafy Bladderwort, is a perennial aquatic carnivorous plant native to a variety of freshwater habitats including shallow lakes, swamps, and ponds with nutrient-poor, acidic waters in Africa and the Americas. It is free-floating with no roots and uses bladder-like traps to capture small aquatic invertebrates. This species can grow in dense mats on the water’s surface, with foliage submerged and only the flowers emerging above the waterline. The flowers are yellow, small, and appear in the summer, providing a modest display.

Leafy Bladderwort is notable for its carnivorous nature, which allows it to thrive in nutrient-poor environments by supplementing its diet with prey. It is not commonly cultivated but can be grown in water gardens or ponds as a curiosity due to its unique feeding mechanism. In cultivation, it requires still or slow-moving water and full sun to part shade. It is important to maintain clean water conditions to prevent the trapping mechanisms from clogging. While it can be a conversation piece in a water garden, it is potentially invasive outside its native range and can outcompete native aquatic plants, leading to ecological imbalances.CC BY-SA 4.0