Silene regia (Royal Catchfly) - Quart Super Plugs

Royal Catchfly is an uncommon wildflower of the Lower Midwest from Missouri to Ohio.  It is never abundant anywhere, but thankfully it is very easy to grow in the garden and from seed.

Royal catchfly offers bright red flowers, a color not often found in American native plants.  It is typically found in open meadows at the edge of woods, and it will grow better with a little afternoon shade.

Because it is uncommon, and the areas it grows are subject to disturbance, Royal Catchfly is an endangered species in several states.  There should be no reason for this, though, as it is a very easy-to-grow wilflower!

Uses

Royal Catchfly is a good plant to include in mixed meadow and prairie plantings.  The plants will often bloom the first year from seed, at a much shorter height than their mature height.  Seeing a pot of Royal Catchfly in bloom, it may be tempting to place it at the front of a perennial border - Be warned, though, that these plants get fairly tall once they're established.

How to Grow Royal Catchfly

Royal catchfly requires a spot with good, moist soil and direct sun for at least the morning.  In the afternoon, some shade is appreciated.

Catchfly isn't a very competitive plant, and we have had some die out at the edge of a vigorous planting of switchgrass.  Be sure to site with other similar-habit species that won't swamp it out.

We offer Royal Catchfly both in our Quart SuperPlugs and our RootMaker 32 Plugs; both will establish quickly, though the smaller plugs will need to be monitored and kept weeded.