Spotlight: Calathea

Calatheas are often
grown as houseplants and go by common names such as the Peacock Plant,
Zebra Plant or Rattlesnake Plant. Their bold leaves with markings and
patterns on them are very striking.  Even though their flowers are small
and insignificant, calatheas are often some of the prettiest and most
unusual houseplants.  

Calathea Maranta (Prayer Plant)

Calatheas are in the
Marataceae or prayer plant family. Calatheas and Prayer plants look
very similar and have similar care requirements.  Like the prayer
plants, the leaves on the calatheas also close up slightly at night.

Calathea Medallion

Care Recommendations

Calatheas seldom flower
as houseplants and they are mainly grown for their unique foliage.  Most grow
under 2-3′ tall and they aren’t that easy to grow. They do best with a
medium to fairly bright indirect light without any direct sun. Too much sun
can damage their fragile leaves and cause them to turn brown. Calatheas were originally native to the rainforests of Brazil and Africa
where they were an understory plants.  In nature, they are found in
jungles and at the base of trees.

Calathea Beauty Star

Calatheas are very
sensitive to the water that is used to water them. Hard water, soft
water or fluoridated water all cause the leaves on calatheas to turn
brown. Rainwater, distilled water or water that is left to sit out for
24 hours are all appropriate for watering them. Fluoride toxicity is a
common problem with many calathea varities.  It often shows as a tip or
marginal burn and affects the oldest leaves first.  In order to avoid
this, you must use low-fluoride phosphate sources and low-fluoride
irrigation water.  Incorporating gypsum in the soil also reduces
fluoride availability.
 

Calathea Ornata