SEED ORDERS OVER $100 SHIP FREE!
Silene regia

Royal Catchfly

$3.00 - $129.00

Packet
$3.00

Bare Root Plants
Out of Stock

3 Pack
Out of Stock
Tray of 38
$129.00
Tray of 50
Out of Stock

A plant rarely seen in the wild due to habitat loss, but easy enough to grow in a home landscape. The scarlet, trumpeting flowers beckon to all the hummingbirds in the area, as well as Black Swallowtails. Smaller insects fall prey to the "catch" part of this plant: the stems and leaves are sticky. Although part of a carnivorous family, this head-turner does not gain nutrition from its captives. After getting stuck, the insects inevitably die. This presents another challenge for the plant. It isn't healthy to have rotting insects stuck all over it. This is where the digestive enzymes come in. They quickly breakdown the insect bodies, keeping them from becoming putrid.

Royal Catchfly is rare due to loss of prairie habitat and is endangered in some states but is relatively easy to grow. The bloom period is June-August for this excellent garden plant. We love this unique red flower in our gardens!

Live Plant Shipping Table

Spring Fall Age/Size
Dormant Bare Roots
April/May October 1-2 years
Potted 3-Packs May/June September 2.5" wide x 3.5" deep pots
Potted Trays of 38* May/June N/A 2" wide x 5" deep plugs
Potted Trays of 50 May August 2" wide x 5" deep plugs
*This species is a choice in the Mix & Match - Create Your Own Tray!

Silene regia - Royal Catchfly

Map Key

Present in state
Present but introduced in county
Present and native in county; not rare
Not present in state
Present and native in county; rare
Species extirpated (historic)
State or county listed as noxious
Present in state; exotic

This map shows the native and introduced (adventive) range of this species. Given appropriate habitat and climate, native plants can be grown outside their range.

4 Questions asked on Silene regia

If I wanted to disperse seeds of Silene regia for natural germination, when should I order and when should I plant? Thanks.
Hi Maury. You could order any time. We ship seeds year round. But, the best time to sow is late-fall, at the time of the first hard frosts so you may want to order in Oct-Nov so the seeds remain in our temperature-controlled seed warehouse.
Does Silene regia or Silene stellata flower in their first year when grown from seed?
Hi Alice, It's possible, but more likely that they won't bloom until the 2nd or 3rd. Most perennial plants need more than one growing season to flower for the first time.
I would like to donate some Royal Catchfly to a local nature preserve. Do you sell it in 1/2 pound increments?
Hi Jean, Our price breaks will change based on availability. Currently, we do not offer this species in 1/2 pound increments. I invite you to call us or email your request to [email protected] to see what we can do for you!
I'd like to put this in my "native" pollinator garden, but as I'm researching it I'm seeing some conflicting hardiness information. It's listed here as hardy to Zone 4, but the Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder lists this particular Silene variety as only hardy to Zone 5. The regional map seems to include Wisconsin, some parts of which are clearly Zone 4. I'm in Minnesota at the border of Zone 4a and 4b (per the 2012 map); will this be a plant that requires special overwinter handling to maintain in my zone? Should I plan to use Virginica instead of Regia?
Hi Elizabeth. There seems to be a 50/50 divide whether Royal Catchfly grows well in Zone 4. Although it is not historically native to Minnesota, we do grow it in our production beds on-campus and it successfully overwinters with no special treatment or care. Pro tip: this species benefits from being part of a plant community with native neighbors to help buffer and support it.

Seed

Growing your own plants from seed is the most economical way to add natives to your home. Before you get started, one of the most important things to know about the seeds of wild plants is that many have built-in dormancy mechanisms that prevent the seed from germinating. In nature, this prevents a population of plants from germinating all at once, before killing frosts, or in times of drought. To propagate native plants, a gardener must break this dormancy before seed will grow.

Each species is different, so be sure to check the GERMINATION CODE listed on the website, in the catalog, or on your seed packet. Then, follow the GERMINATION INSTRUCTIONS prior to planting. Some species don't need any pre-treatment to germinate, but some species have dormancy mechanisms that must be broken before the seed will germinate. Some dormancy can be broken in a few minutes, but some species take months or even years.

Seed dormancy can be broken artificially by prolonged refrigeration of damp seed in the process of cold/moist STRATIFICATION. A less complicated approach is to let nature handle the stratifying through a dormant seeding, sowing seeds on the surface of a weed-free site in late fall or winter. Tucked safely beneath the snow, seeds will be conditioned by weathering to make germination possible in subsequent growing seasons.

To learn more, read our BLOG: How to Germinate Native Seeds

Dormant Bare Root Plants

We dig plants when they are dormant from our outdoor beds and ship them April-May and October. Some species go dormant in the summer and we can ship them July/August. We are among the few still employing this production method, which is labor intensive but plant-friendly. They arrive to you dormant, with little to no top-growth (bare-root), packed in peat moss. They should be planted as soon as possible. Unlike greenhouse-grown plants, bare-root plants can be planted during cold weather or anytime the soil is not frozen. A root photo is included with each species to illustrate the optimal depth and orientation. Planting instructions/care are also included with each order.

Download: Installing Your Bare-Root Plants

Potted Plants

3-packs and trays of 32, 38, or 50 plants leave our Midwest greenhouses based on species readiness (being well-rooted for transit) and order date; Spring shipping is typically early May through June, and Fall shipping is mid-August through September. Potted 3-packs and trays of 38 plugs are started from seed in the winter so are typically 3-4 months old when they ship. Trays of 32/50 plugs are usually overwintered so are 1 year old. Plant tray cells are approximately 2” wide x 5” deep in the trays of 38 and 50, and 2.5" wide x 3.5" deep in the 3-packs and trays of 32; ideal for deep-rooted natives. Full-color tags and planting & care instructions are included with each order.

Download: Planting and Care of Potted Plants

*PLEASE NOTE: we are a mail order nursery and have no retail facilities, but you may pick up your order if prior arrangements are made. Pick up orders are subject to **MN Sales Tax.

Shipping & Handling Charges

SEED $100.00 and under: $5.00
Retail SEED orders over $100.00 ship free!

Custom seed mixes or discounted seed sales over $100, add 5% of the total seed cost
(for orders over $1,000 a package signature may be required)

BARE ROOT and POTTED PLANTS $50.00 and under: $9.00
over $50.00: 18% of the total plant cost. (For orders over $1,000 a package signature may be required.)

TOOLS and BOOKS have the shipping fee included in the cost of the product (within the contiguous US).

**We are required to collect state sales tax in certain states. Your state's eligibility and % will be calculated at checkout. MN State Sales Tax of 7.375% is applied for orders picked up at our MN location. Shipping & handling charges are also subject to the sales tax.

Shipping Season

SEED, TOOLS and BOOKS are sent year-round. Most orders ship within 1-3 business days.

BARE ROOT PLANTS are shipped during optimal transplanting time: Spring (April-May) and Fall (Oct). Some ephemeral species are also available for summer shipping. Since our plants are field-grown, Nature sets the schedule each year as to when our season will begin and end. We fill all orders, on a first-come, first-serve basis, to the best of our ability depending on weather conditions beyond our control.

POTTED PLANTS (Trays of 32/38/50 plugs and 3-packs) typically begin shipping early May and go into June; shipping time is heavily dependent on all the species in your order being well-rooted. If winter-spring greenhouse growing conditions are favorable and all species are well-rooted at once, then we ship by order date (first come, first serve). We are a Midwest greenhouse, and due to the challenges of getting all the species in the Mix & Match and Pre-Designed Garden Kits transit-ready at the same time, we typically can't ship before early May. Earlier shipment requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

*We are unable to ship PLANTS (bare root or potted) outside the contiguous US or to CALIFORNIA due to regulations.

Delivery

We ship using USPS, UPS and Spee Dee. UPS and Spee Dee are often used for expediting plant orders; they will not deliver to Post Office Box numbers, so please also include your street address if ordering plants. We send tracking numbers to your email address so please include it when you order.

FOR MORE DETAILED SHIPPING INFORMATION, INCLUDING CANADA SHIPPING RATES (SEED ONLY), PLEASE SEE 'SHIPPING' AT THE FOOTER OF THIS WEBSITE.

Details

Seeds/Packet
100
Seeds/Ounce
23,000
Germination Code
C(60)
Life Cycle
Perennial
Sun Exposure
Full, Partial
Soil Moisture
Medium, Medium-Dry
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, perch
Highly recommended for home landscaping
USDA Zones
4-9
Plant Spacing
1-2'
Catalog Code
SIL04F