Anthurium Regale Care

Anthurium regale is the epitome of tropical beauty and one of the sought-after collectible tropical houseplants.

This aroid has long petioles with symmetrical elongated velvet-textured leaves with silver veins. Anthurium regale leaves can get massive. This stunning species can grow even 2 meter (6 feet) leaves!

It’s one of my favorite anthuriums due to its elegance, but it’s not a plant for beginners.

anthurium regale
Anthurium Regale. Photograph by Plant Girl Boss

Growing Anthurium Regale

The new leaves of Anthurium regale emerge golden-green, unlike those of Anthurium magnificum that appear dark red or brown.

Interestingly, Anthurium regale seems to have difficulty keeping more than one leaf, at least when grown indoors. I have rarely seen a bushy regale plant. I managed to have a mature Anthurium regale with only one leaf at any time. However, the seedlings had two leaves but dropped to only one later on.

The leaves on a mature specimen can get massive. To get to that size, you will probably need a grow tent if you are growing them indoors or a tropical environment if growing outdoors. Anthurium regale is not the fastest grower, but it will reward you with magnificent new leaves if you give it proper care and conditions.

If you want to see a massive leaf Anthurium regale, check out @marcusonaroids Instagram profile. He grows his aroids outdoors, and his plants are enormous!

Anthurium regale is not rare but harder to come by than your average anthurium andraeanum or a monstera. While it is unlikely you will find it in your neighborhood plant store or nursery, it can be found online and shipped to you. The recent aroid craze has made anthurium regale a must-have addition to a plant collection.

Anthurium Regale Care

Anthurium regale is not an easy Anthurium to care for and is a slow grower. But the stunning leaves are well worth the wait.

In my experience, Anthurium regale is more sensitive to environmental conditions than other hardier anthuriums like an Anthurium magnificum. It is also more difficult to acclimatize and doesn’t travel well.

If you are starting with Anthuriums, I recommend getting an easier to care for Anthurium crystallinum to understand how to grow these magnificent plants.

POTTING MEDIA, LIGHT, AND TEMPERATURE REQUIREMENTS

The potting media requirements for Anthurium regale need to be very porous and drain quickly. I use my standard soilless aroid mix of orchid bark, perlite, coco husks, coco peat, worm castings, and activated charcoal.

In terms of light, some experienced growers observed that anthurium regale grows bigger leaves in light that is not bright. It prefers cooler temperatures.

You shouldn’t fear this Anthurium if you don’t have the best light conditions. It will adjust.

HIGH HUMIDITY REQUIREMENTS OF ANTHURIUM REGALE

It is also noted that anthurium regale prefers high humidity and better airflow than other anthuriums. Experts say high humidity is key to attaining large leaves.

If you are shipping this anthurium from overseas, prepare yourself to lose the leaves upon arrival.

Their fussy behavior might also explain a hefty price tag. They are harder to come by, and they are much more expensive than an Anthurium clarinervium or a forgetii. Suppose you are a beginner anthurium collector; I recommend getting it only after you cut your teeth on easier to care for anthuriums. Or else the mistakes can be pretty expensive.

COMMON PROBLEMS 

The velvet leaves are prone to bacterial infection and can deteriorate quite fast. The good news is that if you are left with a chonk, then you can restart the plant quite easily. Your new Anthurium regale will be acclimatized to your specific conditions.

Anthurium regale is not particularly prone to pest infestation

anthurium regale in moss propagation

Anthurium Regale Propagation

Anthurium regale is relatively easy to propagate via stem division. Chop the chonk between the nodes and place it on the damp sphagnum moss.

In a couple of weeks, you should see new growth. For a mini-guide on propagating anthurium through stem cutting, see my Anthurium forgetii blog, where I discuss it in more detail.

anthurium regale propagation

Anthurium Regale vs Magnificum

How can you tell Anthurium regale from other anthuriums? 

The easiest way to tell Anthurium regale apart is to look at the pattern of veins on a mature leaf.

Anthurium regale is sometimes confused with Anthurium magnificum, but the venation and leaf shape are different.

Anthurium regale has characteristic intricate ‘branching’ of veins at the margins of the leaf.

I have a dedicated blog to Anthurium magnificum care. Check it out.

Interesting Facts About Anthurium Regale

1. Anthurium regale is a terrestrial Anthurium, not an epiphytic one. This means that its root system will require more room in the pot to allow the roots to spread and stabilize the plant.

2. The regal Anthurium produces pollen from the top of the spadix to the bottom, unlike other anthuriums that start from the bottom to the top. 

3. In general, anthurium regale and anthurium species are highly variable, with leaves sometimes looking very different among specimens.

anthurium regale juvenile