Calathea Care Guide: 7 Tips for Growing Calathea Plants

Calathea plants (Calathea) are tropical plants known for their dark green leaves with pinstripe patterns. Originally from Brazil and other areas in South America, they thrive in a humid environment. They make excellent nontoxic and pet-friendly houseplants and are members of the broader Marantaceae family of plants.

There are a multitude of calathea types in the world. Here are seven of the most common:

1. 1. Calathea concinna: Also known as Goeppertia concinna or calathea ‘Freddie,’ Calathea concinna has bright green leaves with dark green stripes. It’s a low-maintenance, classic prayer plant.
2. 2. Calathea lancifolia: Also known as Goeppertia insignis, Calathea lancifolia is sometimes referred to as a rattlesnake plant due to the scaly pattern of its leaves. Its leaves are narrower than many other calathea plants.
3. 3. Calathea makoyana: This plant is also known as Goeppertia makoyana or the peacock plant because of how similar its leaves are to that bird’s feathers. Calathea mayokana has rounded leaves that come in various shades of green.
4. 4. Calathea orbifolia: Significantly larger than many other varieties of calathea, the Calathea orbifolia plant has broad and flowy leaves, but they retain the general prayer plant’s trademark pinstripe pattern.
5. 5. Calathea roseopicta ‘Dottie’: Also known as the rose-painted calathea or calathea ‘Dottie,’ this plant is dark purple and pink with hints of green. Care for it in a humid environment and medium light.
6. 6. Calathea zebrina: Also known as Goeppertia zebrina or the zebra plant, Calathea zebrina features straight, light green stripes that stand out against their dark green background.

Calathea plants need plant care as much as anything else growing in your home or garden. Check out these eight Calathea care tips:

1. 1. Light appropriately. Calathea plants do best in bright indirect light. Too much direct sun can be overpowering to these low light plants in their growing season. This is easy to accommodate given how often they’re used as indoor plants. Outside of keeping them out of direct sunlight, there aren’t any other light requirements. Medium light or lower light are both acceptable.
2. 2. Water well. It’s important to water calathea plants the right amount. Regular watering every couple weeks is ideal, but keep an eye on the potting soil to ensure you’re not overwatering them. Moist soil is good, but a drenched potting mix is bad for these plants and can lead to root rot. As long as you have drainage holes in your pots (and a place for that water to go once drained), the pot can release the excess water.
3. 3. Mimic a humid environment. These plants thrive with high humidity levels in their environment. Fill up a squirt bottle with tap water and start misting your prayer plants routinely. Planting them in or near a pebble tray will cause them to retain some of this moisture. You can also consider purchasing a humidifier to help automate this task for you.
4. 4. Keep them out of the cold. Due to their tropical ancestry, calathea plants are far better off in room temperature than they are in the cold. Keep an eye out for cold drafts in your house that may affect your plants. If you’re considering planting them outside, it’s important to remember they’ll have a harder time outdoors in the winter months than indoors.
5. 5. Fertilize as needed. Fertilizing often isn’t necessary for calathea plants. Use houseplant fertilizer once every season or so to give them a boost, but otherwise, adding too much fertilizer into the mix can be overkill.
6. 6. Propagate if you wish. If you’re hoping to grow new plants, consider propagation. Either prune down a section to the stems and replant these cuttings in new soil or dig up the root ball and divide it at its source before repotting.
7. 7. Re-pot when necessary. These plants are often manageably sized, but you may still need to re-pot from time to time. If they’re growing too big for one pot, get a similar potting mix and repot the entire plant from the roots up in a bigger container.
8. 8. Keep an eye out for disease. Calathea plants are very robust and healthy, but they can still succumb to illness. Clean your calathea leaves with a damp cloth occasionally to help prevent any toxicity from taking hold. If you notice any yellowing or brown edges on your plants, it’s probably best to discard these sections before they spread further.

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