• keywords: howtogrow Royal Catchfly, Silene regia
• seedsfrom: Ion Exchange
• location: Chicago, Illinois, Zone5

This is royal catchfly in captivity in my back yard. This is the top of a plant (flowers extend farther down) with two stems in the photo, one behind the other. The bright red five-pointed stars are really striking. Its a "catchfly" because of the sticky stems and calyx that will trap small flies.

Royal catchfly is really bright red and deserves more attention, I would not be surprised if someone ultimately produces a well-bred version of it. Tallgrass Prairie Wildflowers says royal catchfly is uncommon in the area from Southeast Kansas and Southern Missouri to Ohio and Northern Illinois. It blooms for about 3 weeks in July to August.

Seeds require cold treatment, my cold treatment was simply to plant some seeds in Park's Starts around March and leave them outside, when it got warm enough the seeds sprouted. After a while I moved them to the garden and then moved them again in the Fall, it seems moving poses no problems but I guess it makes sense to get a lot of root when you do. Plants remain thin so they can be planted close together. Some plants may bloom the first year and get to maybe 18 inches tall. Plants get taller (supposedly up to 4 feet) in later years and may need some support when the flowers come out and the plants become top heavy.