[1] The Latin specific epithet livida means "pale" or "lead-coloured", referring to the colour of the flowers.

[3] Utricularia livida can be found in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Eswatini, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

It grows as a terrestrial plant in boggy areas or shallow soils over rock at altitudes from near sea level to 2,830 m (9,285 ft).

It does not tolerate freezing, so in temperate areas it must be cultivated under glass, in pans of damp sand in full sun.

[3][4] U. livida covers a large native range and is an extremely variable species, which accounts for the high degree of synonymy.