The larger and more magnificent the leaf the slower the growth . I have had no personal experience with this sp. but it would be similar to marmoratum and warocqueanum , and only get a leaf or 2 every year .

I have found Warocueanum and Marmoratum to be much faster in growth, the Warocqueanum puts a new leaf out almost as soon as the previous one is done growing and the Marmoratum puts out a leaf every 6-8 weeks, but the Regale put out one leaf a year, two if Im lucky!!!!!

Hi
What are optimum conditions. Have always wanted to try this species but suspect it's heat sensitive?? Grows in high altitude?? thanks gary

I did have this anthurium in my care when I was a kid. My granny gave it two me and I even divided it into two plants that became huge. I remember leaves easily one meter long. Since we were not serious collectors, we had no idea what the plant was. Probably we got everything wrong. I have read people keep it always moist and in sphagnum... Well, we had it in soil, regular soil, the same one we used to grow potatoes. We watered it as much as any other plant, once a week, maybe less in winter. They grew perfectly well, healthy and with leaves always getting bigger and bigger.
The point is, they really are slow growers, but not as slow as some people say here. At least, they weren't under my care. The plants maybe grew 20 cm in height in 6 or 7 years, so they were not climbers. They were always producing new roots that got entangled and helped sustain the plant. About leaves, 4 to 5 leaves and 3 or 4 flowers per year were quite normal, even when the leaves got really big. They even produced seeds (if I just had known what I had...)
The conditions in the area where I lived then are as follow, in case it helps you to grow this plants.
Winter: Very humid, with a level of humidity around 70 or 80% from late october to end of february, and temperatures from around 10ºC minimum at night to 25ºC maximum on sunny days. Around 18 most of the time, though.
Summer: May to September, nights from 17ºC to 27ºC and days from 25ºC to 35ºC. Humidity around 60-70%
I used to have them in a bright location but with no direct sunlight.

Why am I writing all this? Because 7 years ago I moved from my parents' place and the anthuriums had to remain there. I loved them and wanted to take them to my new house on another island. But by the time I went back to collect them, my mother had killed them somehow. I could have cried. I have been dreaming of having them again ever since, researched all over internet until I got to the right photos and could identify what I had, and I have tried to find them. But they seem to be nowhere to be sold in Spain. They are one of my best memories from childhood and one of the few things that could bring a bit of my granny back, now she is gone... Please, someone help me to get one of those marvellous plants again.

I got mine fron Ecuagenera based in Ecuador over the internet, quite readily available but at a price when you add shipping etc but such stunning plants worth every penny.
www.ecuagenera.com

good luck.

Mine seem to grow best in the wintertime here when temps are in the 60s F at night and upper 70s/low 80s F at daytime. The upper 80s and 90s make them stop growing altogether. They do like humidity, but the high heat is what they don't like. I have a nice specimen that hasn't thrown a leaf since the temps went into the upper 80s.

LariAnn

Exactly right LariAnn. These plants are native to northern Peru and the area they are found has temps ranging in the "comfortable" zone almost year round. They thrive in very high humidity but don't like heat. My five specimens always produce more foliage in the winger and normally produce their inflorescences in December. My atrium will drop as low as 55 degrees in the winter but never any cooler. We've seen many leaves in the three foot range but never any larger. Dr. Darian in California has had blades well over 4 feet but in the wild they can reach 6 feet.

The species is found along the edge of the cool (not cold) Andes Mountains at relatively low elevations. The average temperature of the region is in the high 60 degree to low 80 degree range.

We grow them very near a large pond at the waterfall end to increase the humidity and keep the fast draining soil moist but never wet.

I forgot to answer your original question.

In my observations after growing Anthurium regale since 2005 it is neither slow nor fast.

I have other species in section Cardiolonchium that grow at approximately the same rate. None are fast growers but many aroids are much slower. I'd say they are average. More than once we've seen leaves jump from a 12 inch blade to the next one reaching 32 inches but always during November through January. We never see blades over 24 inches in the summer.

It is important to give them the conditions they require and many growers have found the blades will grow larger in dimmer light. That is likely because aroids often "stretch" to find brighter light so if you make the plant search for it you'll see larger leaves. All of my specimens are kept out of any direct light even though they are under a double layer of Lexan which reduces the intenssity by at least 60%. Most are in full shade.

I have a friend that has collected this species in Peru several times and she says they sometimes grow in very bright ligh so I'm not certain what the plant really wants, I just know what I've observed.

If Michael Mattlage is around and reading this he can tell you more since he's had very good results.

Steve...good to hear from you!
I'd have to agree with just about everyones' response on the cultural requirements of this species. It's not as tough to grow as one would expect but the summer heat WILL do a job on it! Last summer mine was completely defoliated due to the mid-summer heat, (I dont have a cooling system in the GH other than misters.) Even under the bench, (where it goes once it starts getting into the 80sF,) it burnt the leaves. Luckily during the winter it started to replace its leaves and is growing better now, (although in a standstill.) It is definately one to grow under a bench or in a cooler spot in the greenhouse.
-Michael