This picture-perfect plant boasts impressive foliage with its velvety heart-shaped leaves and contrasting colored veins. Reaching a whopping 5-8 Feet (152-243cm) when matured, adding one of these extraordinary plants to your indoor jungle will be a game changer! The Anthurium regale is by no means an easy plant to look after compared to other Anthurium varieties. However, with a little bit of know-how, you’ll be prepared for the challenge.
I’ve seen velvety and suedey foliage before. Even so combined with the deep green and yellowy-white veins, it brings about a sense of richness. Normally I prefer not to spend a huge amount of money on plants, but this one is a pure investment! I have kept my Anthurium regale happy for the past five years, and the huge leaves are the center of attention in my living room.
Table of Contents
- Does Anthurium Regale Like Bright Light?
- How Often Should I Water Anthurium Regale?
- Should I Use Sandy Soil?
- What Temperatures Allow Anthurium Regale to Thrive?
- Does This Plant Like High Humidity?
- When Should I Fertilize?
- How Can I Propagate an Anthurium Regale?
- Is Anthurium Regale Toxic?
- What Pests or Bacteria Can Occur?
- Anthurium Regale Overview
- FAQ
Does Anthurium Regale Like Bright Light?
Due to its natural habitat being the tropical rainforest, the Anthurium regale appreciates bright indirect light for at least 8 hours per day. When grown indoors, the most suitable location for the Flamingo flower is by a west or south-facing window during the spring and summer.
The Anthurium regale suffers when in bright direct sunlight. Some of the signs you will see include yellow or brown wilting leaves along with no growth of flowers. On the contrary, suppose the Anthurium regale receives insufficient indirect light. This will lead to leggy stems, broad gaps between growth nodes, and the plant turning from pale green to yellow.
To ensure sufficient lighting during months with peak light and high temperatures, use a sheer drape over the window to filter the sunlight. Place the Anthurium regale 6 feet (182cm) away from the window where sunlight shines through.
If you notice the Flamingo flower has started to stretch towards a certain direction, rotate the pot to even out the growth.
How Often Should I Water Anthurium Regale?
When watering the Anthurium regale, drench the soil and let the excess water escape the drainage holes. The rainforest-loving regale plant loves moist soil, so during the warmer months, ensure you adopt a regular watering regime. I water mine after I’ve checked the water content of the soil. You can do this by feeling the top layer; if it is dry, it is time to give it a drink!
It will need watering once or twice a week during the summer months if you live in high temperatures. Overwatering the Anthurium regale can cause serious harm to your plant as they are prone to root rot.
Indications that your Anthurium regale has received too much water will include drooping leaves that have turned from light green to yellow. If you have over-watered the Flamingo flower, let the soil dry out to 80% and continue with a consistent watering routine.
Due to the Anthurium regale preferring moist soil, letting it dry out too much between watering may cause the soil to become hydrophobic. This means that they repel water and are difficult to wet and hold moisture again.
Should I Use Sandy Soil?
When selecting the correct soil for the Anthurium regale try to opt for well-drained soil with a combination of Orchid bark and Perlite. A well-performing soil will be pH neutral 6.6-7.5; you can obtain this level with a general store-bought potting mix.
To check the pH levels of your potting soil, you can use a pH test strip or the pH levels on a moisture meter. Moisture meters and pH test strip kits are available from gardening stores and online garden shops and are really easy to use. If your soil tests more acidic than the preferred value, you can add elemental sulfur, sulfuric acid, or aluminum sulfate to neutralize it.
To create your own potting mix of soil for the Anthurium regale, you can use these quantities:
- 5 parts potting soil mix
- 2 parts peat moss
- 1 part Perlite
- 2 parts Orchid mix
Try to avoid using sandy soils, clay soils, or muddy soils, as these tend to compact over time and reduce drainage and aeration in the soil. The roots of the Anthurium regale require oxygen to breathe and develop. If the pot is a clogged, muddy mess, it will suffer and stunt your plant’s growth.
What Temperatures Allow Anthurium Regale to Thrive?
Due to the tropical origin of the Laceleaf plant, you will need to keep it in a temperature range that is similar to its original habitat. Temperatures between 60 and 80 F (15- 26C) are optimum for the Anthurium regale to thrive.
As with other indoor plants, they don’t do so well in cold weather. Any prolonged period in cooler conditions below 60F (15C) will stunt the plant’s growth. Keep your home at an average temperature within the ideal range during winter and cooler conditions. Position the Anthurium regale away from any drafty entrances or windows that experience regular fluctuations in temperature. I keep my Anthurium regale in the corner of the dining room opposite my patio doors where it can still get enough light but not be affected by the passing traffic.
If you work from home, it’s great to keep your indoor plants in the same room as where you work. As you adjust the temperature of your room to your needs, you will be keeping your plants happy too! If you are rarely at home, ensure that your plants are kept in the warmest room of your house, such as your main living area or a north-facing room.
Does This Plant Like High Humidity?
Keeping the correct humidity for indoor plants is one of the challenges most indoor gardeners face. The Anthurium regale flourishes in humidity levels of 60-80%, which is a little higher than the natural humidity level of a house.
By increasing your home’s humidity too much, you could be inviting a range of other problems, such as mold or fungus growth. A few ways to control the humidity for your plants without affecting the whole house are to:
- Position the plants in the bathroom, laundry, or kitchen.
- Run a humidifier in the area next to your plants (these are relatively inexpensive and are great if you have a collection of plants)
- Position your Anthurium regale with other indoor plants to create a microclimate and increase moisture in that space.
- Use a pebble tray underneath the plant pot and fill it with a small amount of water.
- Mist water around the leaves using a distilled spray water bottle.
A sign your Anthurium regale is suffering from low humidity is that the beautiful lush green leaves will start to dry out and crisp up at the edges. This will happen if the air is too dry and the humidity is too low. In high humidity (which is quite rare because you won’t be comfortable in your home), you will see moss growing on the soil’s surface. The leaves will then droop and wilt.
When Should I Fertilize?
Despite the impressive size of the Anthurium regale, it is not a heavy-feeding plant, so you don’t need to fertilize it too much. When fertilizing be sure to do it just twice a year. Once at the beginning of Spring before the plant is ready for its peak growth stage. The second time to fertilize your beautiful plant should be at the end of summer or early fall.
You won’t need to fertilize the Anthurium regale during the colder months as the plant will typically slow down its growth anyways. Use a slow-release fertilizer low in nitrogen, potassium, and phosphate, such as a ratio of 1-2-1. This diluted mix will prevent leaf burn, a common issue with over-fertilizing. Leaf burn is when the edges of the leaves will start to turn brown and crisp, and over fertilizing can cause your plant to grow in some deformed ways and eventually kill it.
Excessive fertilizer use causes salt to build up in the soil, inhibiting the roots’ ability to absorb nutrients. If you see a salty-looking crust on the surface of the soil, it’s possible that the plant has received too much fertilizer.
To fix over-fertilizing, you can remove the Anthurium regale from the plant pot and re-pot it into fresh well-draining potting soil. Alternatively, you can flush the soil by running a spray hose through it and letting the water carry the excess nutrients out of the drainage holes. This option is easier if your plant has already grown to a huge size.
How Can I Propagate an Anthurium Regale?
If you want to reproduce your Anthurium regale, you can propagate with stem cuttings. As it is an expensive plant compared with other cultivars, stem cuttings will save costs if you want to expand your plant empire!
To begin, take a clean, sharp pair of scissors, and cut at least six inches (15cm) of a stem with two or three leaves on it. After you have taken your cutting, you can then fill a pot with well-drained soil, sphagnum moss, perlite, and Orchid bark. This chunky mix will keep oxygen around the newly grown roots of the stem cuttings and retain water without it rotting the stem.
Finally, gently push the stem cutting into the soil substrate to about three inches deep. Dampen the soil by using a spray bottle to ensure light application and position your Anthurium regale cutting next to its mother plant.
After about six weeks, roots will have formed, and your new Flamingo flower will be ready to go into a larger pot.
Is Anthurium Regale Toxic?
The whole plant is toxic to cats, dogs, and humans. It can cause symptoms such as drooling, skin and face irritation, and vomiting if swallowed or ingested. As it contains insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, it’s recommended to handle them with gloves.
Keep your plant out of reach from any curious creatures; you wouldn’t want them to tear off leaves and make a meal from them.
The Anthurium regale will grow stunningly large, and when it is full size it will reach 5-8 feet (152-243cm). This should be a factor to consider, especially if you have a lot of children entering your home who might come into contact with your impressive plant.
What Pests or Bacteria Can Occur?
Just like other indoor plants, the Flamingo flower can cop its fair share of pests and diseases too. With a little bit of insight into these problems, you can jump on them and save your plant before it’s too late.
Here is some of the signs to look out for, along with how to combat them:
Scale Insects
These green, gray, brown, or black bugs don’t appear to move too much. They also fix themselves onto the stem and the harder veins of your Anthurium regale. They wound the flesh and cause brown and yellow spots to appear on the leaves.
To attack the scale insects, create a foliar spray using a mix of 1 tablespoon of neem oil, 1 liter of water, and 4 drops of dish soap. Apply the spray to the entire plant once every week, and you will see them disappear.
Spider Mites and Mealybugs
Spider mites are common on the Anthurium regale and can be difficult to detect initially. You will notice fine webbing across the leaves, followed by brown and yellow spots. If left untreated, these brown and yellow spots will eventually cover the leaf’s surface, making it difficult for the plant to absorb the light and photosynthesize.
Another common culprit found to destroy the Anthurium regale is the mealy bug. These are a bit more obvious than Spider mites, and you can see the fuzzy white insects move around your plant in clusters. Mealybugs suck the sap from your Anthurium regale, causing it to wound and weaken the plant.
To control the population of Mealybugs and Spider mites, create a foliar spray by mixing 1 tablespoon of neem oil, 1 liter of water, and 4 drops of dish soap. Spray the Anthurium regale once per week, and they will disappear.
Root Rot
A common problem with Anthurium regale is root rot. Root rot happens when the soil mix is poorly draining, and the roots are starved of oxygen. The Anthurium regale root system is sensitive to root rot so ensure you use the proper soil mix and avoid over-watering. Signs your Anthurium regale is suffering from root rot are stunted growth, foul-smelling potting mix, and yellowing or browning stems.
To recover your precious plant from root rot, you can remove the plant from the pot. Take a look at the root ball; if the root system still has roots intact (not reddish-brown mushy roots), you can cut away the healthy section and repot it into fresh soil. In time your plant will recover and develop a new healthy root system.
Black Nose Disease
This common fungal infection is regarded as problematic in the Anthurium regale plants and thrives in warm, humid environments. Indications that your Anthurium regale has Anthracnose (Black nose disease) are yellow or brown dots that will accumulate on the leaves. Over time, they will darken and cover the entire surface. Not only do these yellow and brown freckles look ugly, they will also disrupt your plant’s energy production.
You can create your own inexpensive fungicidal spray by mixing two teaspoons of bicarb soda in 5 liters of water and adding a couple of drops of detergent or a couple of drops of seaweed extract. Spray the plant once a week and remove any leaf litter or seriously infected leaves.
Bacterial Blight
Blights are a result of the bacteria Pseudomonas syringae pv. glycinea and affect the Anthurium regale tissue from the stem to the leaves. Initially, you will witness yellow growths along the leaf’s edges, which develop into lesions over time. As the bacteria takes over the Anthurium regale, the leaves will drop off and the plant will eventually die.
To treat Bacterial Blight, you can create your own fungicide to prevent the spores from spreading by mixing two teaspoons of bicarb soda in 5 liters of water and adding a couple of drops of detergent or a couple of drops of seaweed extract, like the spray used for Black Nose Disease
Alternatively, you can use a copper-based fungicide available online or in garden stores. Neem oil will help to control the spreading of the spores as it tends to fill the leaf’s pores and add a protective layer.
During the winter when my fan heating and humidifier is on my houseplants started to show signs of Bacterial blight. I removed the damaged leaves and gave the plants a spray with neem oil solution spray and everything is starting to look a lot happier and healthier.
In general, proper care for your Anthurium regale should include removing any leaf litter from the pot, damaged leaves, or stems. Any open wounds on your plant will leave it vulnerable to pests, infestations, and disease.
Anthurium Regale Overview
The Anthurium regale is a perennial tropical plant native to the frost-free surroundings of the Andes mountains. When scouting out an Anthurium regale, you will find other names it is referred to such as Flamingo flower plant, Laceleaf, and Tail flowers.
Belonging to the Araceae family, the Anthurium regale produces a type of inflorescence (complete flower head) called a spadix. Tiny flowers are arranged around the entire spadix. The spadix is often partnered with a spathe which appears to be a large petal but is actually a colored modified leaf. Many people mistake this part of the plant as a flower, but the actual flowers are very small and bloom on the spadix.
The Flamingo flower plant is not typically chosen for its flowers but for its magnificent foliage.
The heavily veined leaves of the Anthurium regale grow to a staggering 48 inches (121 cm) long and 36 inches (91 cm) wide- similar to the size of a small dining table top! This is not a bushy plant, as the individual leaves are set on a tall thin stem. Nevertheless, the size of the leaves compensates for the quantity. During the growing seasons (spring to fall), you can expect to see a new leaf emerge every three months.
FAQ About the Anthurium Regale
How big will the anthurium regale get?
The Anthurium regale will reach a height of 5-8 feet tall (152-243 cm). The leaves will grow to 48 inches (121 cm) long and 38 inches (91 cm) wide.
Is anthurium regale rare?
Anthurium regale is thought to be a rare plant, and for that reason, it is priced higher than other indoor plants.
Is anthurium regale easy to care for?
The Anthurium regale is easy to care for when provided with suitable conditions. Bright indirect light for 8 hours per day, adequate watering, well-draining soil, temperatures of 60-80 F (15- 26C), and humidity of 60-80% will all keep your Anthurium regale happy.
Is anthurium regale a fast grower?
The Anthurium regale is a moderately fast grower when in the right conditions. You can expect to see a new leaf grow every three months.
Add Regality to Your Home
This stunning plant takes the lead in my houseplant collection. Its heart-shaped leaves and beautiful yellow-white veins add a touch of class to the corner of the room. It gives off some romantic vibes with the dark green velvet foliage too!
The Anthurium regale is not a low-maintenance plant. Because this tropical plant requires little fertilizing, it does make it relatively easy to maintain and suitable for beginner plant collectors. If you are lucky enough to get your hands on one of these head-turners, make sure you follow the humidity and temperature requirements well. They don’t adapt well to too much environmental change.
If you consider adding one of these to your home, be mindful of the size, as they can grow pretty big. So, if you are looking for a small plant for a desktop or dining table, this one will outgrow the space eventually. In the right environment with enough space, the Anthurium regale steals the show!
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