Anthurium Regale Plant Care + Light, Water, Soil & Propagation

Last Updated on March 19, 2022 by Admin

The Anthurium Regale is a popular but rare and expensive houseplant. If you find one, it will often have a price tag of over $100.

This is thanks to its large, stunning, heart-shaped leaves that are adorned with very visible white veins. Due to its looks, it is considered one of the most sought after and beautiful anthurium varieties around.

As with other anthuriums, the Regale features inflorescence consisting on a spathe and spadix. It will also produce small flowers during the warmer months of the year.

However, all of these are overshadowed by the striking beauty of its foliage (which can reach 3 to 4 feet in size).

The Anthurium Regale is native to Peru although it also grows in a few tropical regions of South America.

Table of Contents

Anthurium Regale Plant Care

Light Requirements

The Anthurium Regale is best positioned somewhere with medium to bright, indirect or filtered light indoors. This makes a spot near an east or west facing window ideal.

Outdoors, it will likewise do very well outdoors in partial shade or bright shaded location. As such, placing it under the shade of trees, covered deck patio or something similar provided that the location stays bright works well.

The plant also has good tolerance to low light. However, it won’t flower as much there.

That said, this is not much of an issue since the Anthurium Regale only produces tiny flowers. Although they do have a lovely fragrance to them.

The bigger issue you want to watch out for in low light environments is insufficient illumination. When there isn’t enough light, the plant’s growth will slow down. It will also produce fewer (and smaller leaves).

Since its leaves are its crowning glory, you do want to avoid this from happening.

The other thing to avoid is very strong, harsh or intense light.

The Anthurium Regale has problems staying under direct sunlight for long hours. While it can tolerate a few hours of morning sun coming from the east, it won’t be able to withstand more than 2 or so hours of direct sunlight during the afternoons or in the summer.

After a while it can cause leaf burn which will mess up how your plant’s foliiage look.

Temperature

As a tropical plant, the Anthurium Regale enjoys moderate to warm environments. Its ideal temperature range is between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

Since this is very similar to the climate conditions inside most homes, it is easy to care for the plant indoors with this regard.

However, because it does not see snow, frost or experience freezing temperatures in its native habitat, the Anthurium Regale has low tolerance to the cold.

Avoid temperatures below 55 degrees as it does not do well there.

The colder it gets and the longer the plant is left there, the larger the risk of it sustaining cold injury. Even if that does not happen, its growth will slow down considerably or even stop altogether.

Outdoors, the plant will enjoy USDA Hardiness Zones 11 to 12. These are the southern coastal areas which don’t experience snow between November to March. Instead, they have moderate weather and sunshine during these times.

Humidity

Ideal humidity for the Anthurium Regale is 70% or higher if possible.

This is something that makes it a bit trickier to care for in most North American households or anywhere that does not have tropical or subtropical weather.

Unfortunately, the plant’s love for moisture means that you may need increase humidity indoors. Although this is less of a problem if you have a greenhouse or grow room.

For this reason, I do suggest in getting a digital hygrometer. This will allow you to track humidity in any given room at any time of the day.

This will let you know:

How low humidity gets so you can take any necessary action
If the changes you’ve made have increased humidity enough to keep the plant happy

When humidity gets too low, the plant’s leaves will get affected. You’ll see dry, crispy and brown leaf tips and edges. This is a warning sign that the moisture in the air is not high enough.

You can help the plant out by misting it regularly, placing it on a pebble tray or investing in a humidifier.

Related

How Often to Water Anthurium Regale

The Anthurium Regale enjoys moist soil. But it is also susceptible to overwatering.

Thus, it is important to strike a balance so you don’t end up giving it too much water. Doing so will increase its risk for root rot as well as bacterial and fungal infections.

For this reason, it is not ideal to follow a fixed watering schedule.

Instead, make sure to adjust your watering routine based on the time of year.

During the summer, the easiest way to do this is to wait until the soil dries up around halfway down (50% of the way) between waterings.

This allows you to avoid overwatering and root rot while still keeping the soil moist.

On average, this will likely mean watering once a week.

In the winter, cut back on watering to about once every two weeks. Ideally, allow the soil to almost go dry before adding more water.

That’s because the cold weather, lack of sunshine and inactivity of the plant during this period increases the risk of overwatering.

Anthurium Regale Potting Soil

As the Anthurium Regale is susceptible to overwatering, it is very important to use well-draining soil. This reduces the risk of overwatering as it will only hold just enough moisture to keep the roots hydrated. Then, it will drain any excess liquid.

By doing so, it prevents the roots from sitting in water for extended periods of time.

As such, avoid heavy and dense soils as these retain too much moisture.

Instead, an aroid mix would be an ideal choice. You can make your own or pick one up from your local nursery or garden center.

I prefer to make my own DIY potting mix since it is cheaper and allows me to customize the soil for specific plants.

The simplest potting mix recipe for Anthurium Regale would be a combination of:

1 part peat moss (or coconut coir)
1 part orchid bark

You can likewise use a mix of:

1 part peat
1 part perlite
1 part pine bark

Don’t forget to use a pot with at least one drainage hole at the bottom so the excess liquid can get out.

Fertilizer

During its growing season, it is likewise a good idea to feed your Anthurium Regale.

This will allow it to grow faster, produce more foliage and larger ones at that. Sufficient plant food will also help its leaves maintain their vibrant green color.

You can use an orchid or balance houseplant fertilizer. Once a month feeding during the spring and summer is ideal.

A liquid formulation is likewise a good choice since it makes it easier to dilute the dose. Make sure to reduce each application to half strength.

Also avoid adding fertilizer to dry soil. This increases the concentration of the fertilizer which can lead to problems.

It is also why you want to avoid overfeeding the plant as it can lead to fertilizer burn.

When this happens, it will damage the plant’s roots and cause leaf burn. You’ll also see foliage turn yellow as the salt build up in the soil.

Pruning

The Anthurium Regale can grow to between 5 and 8 feet tall. And most of its size will be from its large, wide heart-shaped foliage.

In fact, it leaves can easily reach 3 or more feet with proper care. Outdoors, you may see the plant produce leaves as large as 6 feet.

As such, pruning is not much of an issue since you want the plant to keep its leaves.

However, you do need to monitor its leaves and how they grow. As they get heavier, they will cause the stems to bend. Also, you may want to remove some of the older leaves to make way for younger ones to grow.

In addition, be sure to remove any dead, damaged or discolored leaves as well.

However, don’t remove too many leaves in one sitting.

How to Propagate Anthurium Regale

The most efficient way to propagate the Anthurium Regale is through cuttings. This is not only easy but also yields very good success rates.

As such, it is the most common way to produce new plants at home.

Shops and commercial growers will grow most of their new plants from seeds. That’s because this allows them to scale better.

However, the process takes a lot more time and work compared to growing new Anthurium Regale from cuttings.

Here’s how to propagate Anthurium Regale from stem cuttings.

Begin by taking a 6 inch cutting of a healthy stem. Make sure to choose a stem with at least 1-2 leaves on it as well.
Once you have the cutting, allow it to rest a bit while you prepare the pot and soil mix.
You’ll need a good sized pot as the plant will grow a healthy root system that needs space. Depending on how big the cutting you get, you can start with a 6 to 10 inch container.
Fill the pot with fresh, well-draining soil mix almost all the way up.
Then create a hole in the middle to insert the stem cutting,
You can dip the cut end of the stem cutting into rooting hormone if you wish. Although this is optional.
Place the cutting in the hole you made in the soil. The fill the rest of the hole to keep the cutting up
Leave the pot in a warm location with good humidity and bright, indirect light.
Water the soil until moist. Avoid overwatering it.
In about 4 to 6 weeks the cutting will have grown roots that have grabbed hold of the soil.

How to Repot or Transplant Anthurium Regale

The Anthurium Regale will outgrow its pot in around 2 years. As such, you’ll likely need to move it to a larger container every 24 or so months.

You’ll know when to repot since you’ll begin seeing the roots come out of the holes at the bottom of the pot. This is your signal the plant gives you to say it wants more space for its roots to grow.

When choosing a new pot, pick one that it about 2-3 inches larger at most. Avoid going too big as this also increases the amount of soil you need to use.

When you water the soil, the excess volume means there’s a lot more water covering the roots.

Is It Toxic/Poisonous to Humans, Cats & Dogs

Yes, the Anthurium Regale is toxic to pets and young children. Therefore, avoid leaving it near where they run or play. This limits the possibility of ingestion which can be dangerous to them due to the toxic compounds found in the plant.

Similarly, if you have sensitive skin, it is a good idea to wear gloves when pruning since the sap of the plant can irritate skin.

Problems & Troubleshooting

Pests

The Anthurium Regale may experience pests during its lifetime. Although by keeping it healthy, you can reduce its risk. It is also a good idea to wipe down its leaves with a damp cloth to clean the dust from them.

Bugs are attracted to dust. So, as more dust collects in the leaves, the more they’ll seek out the plant.

Aphids and scale are the most common insects that come to rob the plant of its sap. This can lead to yellow and brown spots on leaves.

They also grow in number quickly. So, don’t wait to treat them once see one or two.

Instead, try to eradicate them when they’re few since it is easier to do so.

Diseases

Root rot is the most serious disease the plant will face. However, it can also encounter other bacterial and fungal infections. These can affect the roots and leaves.

The one common thing about these infections is that they thrive in dame conditions. As such, excess moisture is what causes them.

Therefore, make sure to avoid overwatering, waterlogged soil, wetting the leaves too much or over misting.