Kendall County (IL) Forest Preserve District
Royal
Catchfly
Silene regia
[C-value
10]
Pink family (Caryophyllaceae)
Blooms July - August
The native Royal Catchfly is on the Plants of Concern List and the Illinois Endangered Species List. It prefers full or partial sun in moist to slightly dry soil. Habitats include black soil prairies, openings in upland forests and savannas. This beautiful perennial is 2-3' tall and unbranched, except for the upper flowering stems. Its leaves occur in opposite pairs, rotating 90° as they ascend the stem, with no petioles and clasping the stem. They are up to 4" long and 2" wide, lance-shaped and toothless. Small clusters of bright red or scarlet flowers occur at the top of the plant. The star-shaped flowers, about ¾–1" across, have 5 narrow petals that flare abruptly outward from a long tubular calyx that is about 1" long. The calyx is light green and covered with sticky hairs to trap climbing insects.
Royal Catchfly in private garden July 20, 2014 (photo by Laura Spangler)
Royal Catchfly in private garden July 1, 2014 (photo by Laura Spangler)
Note the long tubular calyx beneath each bloom - a feature of the 'catchfly' family. The sticky hairs covering the calyx can "catch" or block ants and other climbing insects from reaching the the plants pollen. One theory is that by giving preference to wide ranging flying pollinators (like humming birds), the 'catchfly' family can obtain a much wider range of pollination.
Royal Catchfly in a private garden August 19, 2013 (photo by Laura Spangler)
Click here for more information.
Copyright © 2011-2017 by Kendall County Forest Preserve District. All Rights Reserved.