Royal Catchfly (Silene regia)
Royal Catchfly (Silene regia)
Royal Catchfly (Silene regia)
Silene regia is a stunning native species of flowering plant of the Caryophyllaceae family known more by the common name Royal Catchfly.
The flowers are pollinated by the ruby-throated hummingbird, and is a magnet for Black Swallowtails.
This plant is “catchy" because small insects can get captured by a sticky substance on its leaves and stems. While this plant is definitely in the carnivorous family, it doesn’t benefit from them, but it does have the ability to break down the bodies so they don’t rot on the plant.
This plant happily catches and kills flies but also has been seen catching invasive Japanese Beetles.
This plant is a stunning native to the tallgrass prairie of the American Midwest. It occurs in grasslands and woodlands alike. It has most often been found on roadsides and outcrops, and in pastures. It is loves being in open, sunny spots.
This species is under threat due to the loss of habitat to agricultural use. Its native prairie habitat has been reduced so that now the plant mainly grows on roadsides and rights-of-way. It is also threatened by fire suppression, which eliminates the normal fire regime that keeps the habitat open and sunny. Larger and woody vegetation moves into the habitat when fire is reduced, and the Silene cannot compete.
(We recommend prescribed burns where possible every 5-7 years to not only compete with invasive or fast growing weeds, but to rejuvenate plants just like this one)
Plant Details:
USDA Zones: 4-9
Germination Needs: 60 Day Cold Stratification
Life Cycle: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full to Partial
Soil Moisture: Medium-Dry
Plant Spacing: 1-2 feet
Height: 4 feet
Bloom Time: July, August
Bloom Color: Red
Advantages:
Pollinator Favorite: butterflies, moths, bees, wasps, beetles
Bird Favorite: seeds, insects, fruit, nectar, nesting, perchs.
Excellent in home landscaping!
Native to: Wisconsin, Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida.
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Packet quantities:
We pride ourselves on ethical, hands on, ecological management, using no mechanical or chemical methods whatsoever.
All of our native seed is hand reared, hand picked, and hand packed from native prairies under our exclusive management, never breaking chain of custody from the field until it is sent to you. Each packet is hand prepared for shipment by us, directly.
Small seed species will contain greater than 20-25 seed
Large seed species will contain greater than 10-15 seed
It is our mission to spread the wealth of native plant and pollinator ecological sustainability, and educate back yard gardeners as well as corporate and government entities in how to germinate, grow, and benefit from native synergies.
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