Calathea , or prayer plant , has become a loved and popular ornate foliation houseplant ; its wavelike , ribbed , round , pointed or ellipse leaf with robust and ornamental variegation and patterns are a real miracle of Nature .
calculate on the variety , their leave come in various subtlety of green with sometimes a hint of purple , and with stripe approach pattern , flames or just a biased lip . Some varieties also have orange bloom .
A aboriginal of the tropic Americas , Calathea is a herbaceous evergreen repeated industrial plant in the familyMarantaceae(arrowroot household and the prayer - plant home ) which include 60 currently have it off coinage after being reclassified intothe Goeppertiagenus .
While some Calathea mixed bag often have a reputation for being toilsome to please , there are lots of easy - to - care - for types known to be resilient in shady places in your theater or even in the humidity of a lav , sheltered from the sun .
So in this illustrative guide , we will plunk into the globe of stunning types of Calatheas that will make an excellent gain to your indoor garden , along with tips on caring for most varieties of prayer plants .
But first of all , allow ’s get to cognise our Calathea , a tropical dish like no other .
Calathea Overview
Calathea is a genus of industrial plant occur from the jungles of the Amazon River in South America . For this intellect , they retain the tropical look we require in tropical plants . They produce well under the thick canopy of Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree in the underbrush and are moderately small plants desirable for indoor ontogeny .
Also known as “ supplication plants ” , this name comes to the fact that many varieties curl up or close their leaves at night . Naturally , they also get laid humid and sheltered places where their farewell can show off their beauty .
Prayer plant have a wide-eyed pallette , with shades of pinkish , orangish , red , and blank , as well as a large range of greens , from pale to dark . In their rude surroundings , the leave also shelter wad of invertebrates and small creature , as when they are immature , they collect pool of water anticipate phytotelmata .
The flowering are spikes of colourful flowers attached directly to the stem . They are quite promising , but they can vary in duration , and they search like those of ginger or its proportional turmeric . This gives them a very oriental spirit because they are reminiscent of pagodas with many cap .
On the other hired man , the capsules that follow are inconspicuous . For a flying character guide , we have compiled a fact sheet for you .
Calathea Care Fact Sheet
This fact sheet will help you draw the key information about calathea , or orison plant .
How To Care for a Calathea Plants
appeal plant life of the Calathea genus have really dissimilar leaf and bloom of many colors , but the basic care is the same for all of them , so , let ’s see what you ask to do to keep them happy and healthy .
Calatheas Thrive InMedium , Indirect Sunlight
Calatheas is a down - light houseplant which will do well inmedium , collateral sunshine , as they grow under the canopies of Tree in their natural surround . assay avoiding too bright direct sunlight as it can scorch their attender leaves , causing them to wrench white and drop .
Your orison plant will also do well in low-spirited collateral luminosity , but if you point out any leaf discoloring , or even strange blackening , it mean that it needs a bright place .
It ’s best to set your Calathea industrial plant on west or eastward facing windows and keep off put them on south facing ones , especially in red-hot and gay month .
Keep your supplication plant about 5 to 10 foot from the windowpane .
Calathea Needs Moist Soil Which Is Slightly Acidic
Prayer plant like well dead but moisture tenacious territory . The ideal potting commixture is as follows :
Prayer plant do not tolerate alkaline filth ; their pH range is between 5.5 and 7.0 , the ideal is 6.5 .
WaterYourCalatheasOnce A Week
Like all rainforest plants , calatheas like ceaseless ground humidness . This means that you should never allow the soil to dry out up . At the same fourth dimension , you should never get the dirt quaggy .
water supply when the top 2 inches of soil ( 5.0 atomic number 96 ) are dry . Be generous but do not overwater . On median , this should be once a week .
Always add some water when the leave look wilted .
Reduce slightly in wintertime , when the works is inactive .
FeedCalathea plantsFrom Mid-Spring Until Late Summer
Calathea plants like racy and fertile soil ; you should feed monthly from the beginning of spring to the last of summer . you could employ an constitutional fertilizer with NPK 10:10:10 .
Be very careful not to over - fertilize your orison works ; this lover lead to unnatural growth , passing of glossiness and even change in coloring of the folio , as well as missed blooming .
CalatheasShould BeRepottedEvery 1-2 Years
You should repot your appeal plants every year or every two years . You will need to use your judgement and see if the plant has outgrow the container . For Calathea , this is quite crucial because otherwise its leafage growing can be stunt .
select a skunk which is 2 column inch ( 5.0 centimetre ) larger .
It is often necessary to repot calatheas after buy . This is because they are often sold in very little containers .
Do not repot when the prayer plant life is in flush . This may affect the flower , and the works is very vulnerable at this level .
void partake the rootball unless necessary ; the radical system of calathea is quite delicate .
Cure and Prevent Calathea Leaf Browning, Curling, Wilting
The main concern with calathea plants is fungal infections . You will notice spots on the farewell , often brownish or sensationalistic , but not only . Whole leaves may die and rot when the problem is at in advance stage .
It is an easy problem to resolve .
Do n’t worry about the neem oil go into the filth ; it is utterly dependable for plants .
you’re able to cut the ruined leaves with a sharp and sterile leaf blade . This is not just for aesthetic reason , it is also to prevent the spreading of the contagion .
Some plant naturally fell to a great extent infected leave after you spray them with neem oil . Do n’t worry ; it intend they have appreciated the discussion and they are ready to develop raw leaf .
PruneAway Dead Leaves From YourCalathea
Calatheas do not need pruning ; they are small flora and they do not have branches . However , you’re able to cut desiccated or pale leaves ; the most of import affair is that you practice a sterile sword . Otherwise you take chances infecting it .
In most cases , when the folio is dry , rather than rotted , you could easily snap it off at the base .
Can You Move Your Calathea Outdoors?
you’re able to get your calathea some tonic air in summertime , but be thrifty .
Be careful , at the first sing of sadness , like matt and non glossy leave of absence , take it back to its normal indoor place .
And this is all you require to do to have a lovely , ornamental houseplant with amazing foliage and bloom !
16 Amazing Calathea Varieties Worth Hundreds
Here are the most beautiful yet easy to wish for calatheas varieties , for filling out your houseplant collection .
1.Zebra Plant (Calathea zebrina)
Zebra plant , a.k.a . Calathea zebrina , is one of the most popular varieties of this houseplant , and the name says it all … The leaves have contrast aslope darkness and light green grade insignia that start from the midrib and terminate at the margin . These are matched by undulation , with the shiny stripes in relief .
The texture is very original , as it feels like rubber to the touch ! This makes the overall facial expression of the plant oddly flaccid despite the oculus - catch up with color display .
Each leaf is oviform and up to 12 inch long ( 30 cm ) , with some pointing upwardly and others arch to the side .
The bloom are bright purple , little and wide ; they come at the base of the plant and look like dahlias , which is somewhat unusual for prayer plants .
The Zebra plant is a classic of calatheas , ideal for the harmonic , almost neoclassic pattern on its leaves , which makes it suitable even for schematic mount , like offices .
2.Rose Painted Calathea (Calathea roseopicta)
Rose painted calathea has some of the most colourful foliage of all the prayer plant life in the universe . Each variety show has its own palette and personality , but they will have homocentric area that pick up the broad and waved physical body of the leaves and use different colors .
you may find dark and bright greens , even cream and yellow , and as the name suggests , pinkish to purple specially on the undersurface and stems .
Mind blowing mixed bag are the cultivars ‘ Princess Jessie ’ which is pink imperial and almost black , with rich emerald green parts , or ‘ Rosy ’ , with pinks and even lime or ointment yellow !
The vast sizing of the farewell make the display even more optic trance : up to 30 inches in length ( 76 cm ) ! The salad days are short but showy ; you will find them at the base of your houseplant in shades from ashen to bright green , often lime .
Calathea roseopicta is the mixed bag you need if you are after a centerpiece with an plosion of coloration to brighten up your living room or office .
3.Calathea Warscewiczii (Calathea warscewiczii)
4.Peacock Plant (Calathea makoyana)
Peacock flora , or Calathea makoyana has foliage that appear like full and broad feathers , hence the name . These are 12 column inch long ( 30 cm ) and about 8 inch wide ( 20 cm ) egg shaped ( ovate ) and with an unbelievable formula of cream yellowish green and mid unripe glossy arena on the top , just like you would bear in the illustrious fowl that give it its name .
This is then taken up on the bottom but with white and plum purple ! It is really hard to decide which side is good … When they first seem , they are tramp up in pointed cones of a pink regal shade . The blooms are low and blank , they appear in small clustering at the base of the plant .
Maybe the best setting for a peacock plant would be a mod and sheer room , but it will reckon great anywhere you maturate it .
5.Calathea Orbifolia (Calathea orbifolia)
Calathea orbifoliawill not strike you so much for the colouring of its foliage , but for its texture and frame . In fact the leaf of this prayer plant are mid or bright unripened with gentle dark stripes that consort from the middle to the margins .
However , they are very lustrous , deeply rut with a midrib and charge plate lime that go to the border from it .
They are also very , very tolerant , in fact , they can be one foot long and extensive ( 30 cm ) . They will come on short stems and create an alien looking at clunk , almost like a shrub . The flowers are somewhat modest , short and they will come along with their pick clean subtlety near the base of the industrial plant .
For the tropic underbrush look , Calathea orbifolia is by far one of the best selection , and it will have a more neutral front , which you’re able to easily combine with other houseplant .
6.Calathea Ornata (Calathea ornata)
One of the most refined varieties of this houseplant , Calathea ornata has very determine pictorial touch . This is thanks to its spacious , long and pointed leaves , which are very dark green in spectre , and with a shining shininess .
This vividness is contrast by groups of two to three thin white or pink stripes that wind from the mid costa to reach the margins , which they do not actually touch , result a frame for this modernistic looking natural picture .
The undersides are purple , and this tot up another dimension of profoundness . The blooms can be bright orange , pink or clean , they are very cosmetic and they come on long and good stanch that spring up taller than the foliage itself .
Beautiful in any circumstance , Calathea ornata would be a magnificent presence in a modern looking at , artistically inspire office or living room .
7.Eternal Flame (Calathea crocata)
Recently introduced to the houseplant market , endless flaming , Calathea crocata is one of the best bloomers of this genus . The name of this supplication industrial plant refers to the crocus flower , and there is a reason for this . They are brilliant orange or yellow and with prospicient triangular bracts that give it an oriental look .
The actual sepal are red-faced , and hidden within the bracts . Very much like those of Curcuma domestica , in fact , these would look great in an Asiatic garden . The blossoms will open on straight stems that reach up from the foliage and offer them to you above it .
What ’s more , they will last for two to three calendar month ! The leaves are late gullible , elliptical and pointed , with clear , soft sideways groove and a very rubbery , almost waxy grain .
aeonian fire is becoming very pop in garden center , its leaves are quite unusual , and the blooms are just spectacular , and this is making its hazard .
8.Rattlesnake Plant (Calathea lancifolia)
“ Lance shaped ” prayer plant is the substance of Calathea lancifolia , recognise as rattlesnake industrial plant , and it ’s a very suitable name for this houseplant assortment . hit 18 inches in length ( 45 cm ) , the leaves are some of the long in this genus . They are minute , and very pointed , which makes them await like the wind of spears .
These tend to grow upright , and they have the most amazing coloring . With a dingy green stripe along the border , they are bright green , even lime inside , but with oblong leopard spots of the same obscure shade you observe on the boundary !
wavelike as well , these beautiful “ spears ” are very glossy indeed . The booms are snow lily-white , with distinct individual nous that calculate a number like butterflies at the base of the plant .
Calathea lancifolia is a show stopper for its foliage ; the leaves have an African artistry look on them , very bold and dare in any room that needs some vivacious energy .
9.Calathea Rufibarba (Calathae rufibarba)
The decorative value of the Brazilian Calathea rufibarba as a houseplant comes from its very refined foliage , in both shape and semblance .
Very foresighted and thin , the leaves have refined and regular waves that unravel from the mid to the edges . This gives it the quality of a finely work sculpture , which reminds me of ancient bronze age .
And copper to burgundy is the rare colouration you will see on the undersurface , while the top of is glossy and dark green , all climb on unsloped and long purple stems . The strong yellow flowers will appear at the base of the leafy clump , with bright , showy and space individual head .
Pick Calathea rufibarba is you need a queen of elegance for a advanced room or office space , and it wo n’t disappoint you !
10.Calathea ‘Freddie’ (Calathea concinna ‘Freddie’)
‘ Freddie ’ is a cultivar of Calathea concinna , a prayer plant aboriginal of Brazil , with glossy foliation that looks like big plumage . The dark and lighter bluff chevron that move from the mid to the margin give it a very harmonized and regular pattern , just like you find on many shuttle .
The leaves are quite small compared with other species , 4 to 7 inches in duration ( 10 to 18 column inch ) , but they form very thick and lavish thumping that bring you a slice of tropical timberland to your indoor quad .
The nose candy snowy efflorescence unfurl from short stems at the base of the plant , slowly unveil the item-by-item sweetly scented flowers .
‘ Freddy ’ is a playful variety of Calathea concinna ; it has a vivacious but also discreet personality , thoroughgoing for children and their indoor spaces .
11.Calathea Musaica ‘Network’ (Calathea musaica PP0005)
If you wish ticklish effects , then Calathea musaica is your houseplant . This variety does not have the bold patterns you find on other calatheas , in fact . The very glossy foliation displays a thin , geometrical pattern of tiny orthogonal eyepatch of two colors , cream chickenhearted unripe and brilliant light emerald green .
It is a plant you want to look at close by to apprize its full beauty , but even from a distance it has a somewhat puzzling issue with its light personal effects . The leaves grow on thin stems and they are wide and pointed , organize dense and florid tropical look clunk .
The peak are not showy , but beautiful and they will give you candid snow white inflorescences of a few heads each at the al-Qaida of the plant .
Calathea musaica is perfect as a backdrop houseplant to add texture and dark-green foliage to expectant compositions .
12.Calathea ‘Argentea’ (Calathea picturata ‘Argentea’)
‘ Argentea ’ is a appeal plant cultivar of the Brazilian Calathea picturata with unparalleled foliage . The leave-taking have a mid to dark green rim which surrounds a show quit silver white/ silver green central part , which make up most of the color ensemble .
They are ovate , about 9 inch long ( 23 cm ) and 6 in width ( 15 cm ) , growing horizontally on thin , upright and imperial petioles , a shade which is picked up on the undersides as well .
funnily enough , the star shaped blooms take place individually on stems that bring them to the same height of the leaf itself , roughly speaking . The flowers are white with some yellow , green and pinkish bloom in them , they face up and very elegant indeed .
‘ Argentea ’ will attract attending thanks to its very individual silver colouring , beautifully framed ; guess about the wall shadow of your room to make the best of it .
13.Calathea ‘White Fusion’ (Calathea lietzei ‘White Fusion’)
‘ White Fusion ’ is a supplication plant with unusually irregular patch of color , and a cultivar of the Brazilian Calathea lietzei . Unlike other varieties , the diversification is not predictable . Each leaf will have its own mix , with stripes and dashes of a pallet that goes from blue light-green to whitened , often prominent , and even some purple flush on top as well as undersurface .
More similar to a modern painting than a traditional design , the leaves are elliptical and wavy , with pointed crown and broad cast .
They will grow as upright cones and then unfurl and bend sideways , uncover all their brilliant tapestry . This later bloomer will also grace your rooms with showy white , regal or yellow-bellied prime .
‘ White Fusion ’ is idealistic for forward-looking looking home or offices ; the rare pure white colouring is a tangible asset , but it will look on lighting , so be ready to move it to a brighter property if you do n’t get enough of it .
14.Calathea ‘Beauty Star’ (Calathea ornata ‘Beauty Star’)
The orison plant cultivar ‘ Beauty Star ’ find fault up some traits of the mother metal money Calathea ornata and heightens its elegance . Very glossy , ovoid and pointed , the leave of absence can reach 1 foot in length ( 30 atomic number 96 ) and tend to form a rose window mold thumping . These are clear grooved with arc lines that chair from the mid rib to the edge , but stop just before actually tint them .
This intend that the border are very placid . On them , you will see gentle diagonal dashes of two shades of green , dark and shining . However , it is not a slap-up bloomer ; little and inconspicuous blossom may come along at the base your houseplant in summer , usually orange .
‘ Beauty Star ’ is a classical looking variety of supplication plant , and it suits better more courtly , traditional rooms , both at home or at body of work .
15.Medallion Prayer Plant (Calathea veitchiana)
Medallion supplication plant , or Calathea veitchiana , is a the houseplant you want as a oeuvre of prowess in your sustenance elbow room . Its unsubtle , more or less pointed and glossy foliage has made it democratic all over the world . Each leaf can be one foot long and almost of the same breadth ( 30 cm ) , but what will amaze you is the practice you will see on them .
Hard to discover , the series of concentric and feather like stripes of leafy vegetable that array from almost black to nearly white is a show stopper , especially if you keep them clear and shiny .
The undersides are reddish to purple , as are the petioles . The flowers are modest , of a delicate lavender people of colour and they appear among much liberal , bright unripened bracts .
Medallion prayer plant life is one of the most cosmetic houseplant you’re able to have ; it could replace a modern painting with its unbelievable leaves – this is the plant you desire to wow your friends and client !
16.Calathea Albertii (Calathea albertii)
Also known as emerald feather prayer plant , has its own original facial expression , quite distinctive from other varieties , and it may be the one that does for you . The leaves are glossy , long , up to 6 in long ( 15 centimetre ) and one-half as all-inclusive , wavy and pointed , but they also run to curve to one side .
They present stripe , patches and dashes of many shades of unripe commonly two to three , but the accurate tonality depends on the Light Within it receives ; brighter options will give you lighter colors , darker ones the opposite .
The undersurface , however , will always be purplish , sometimes even tending to violet ! The blooms are quote small , hidden at the base of the dense foliage , and white green in color .
Emerald plume orison plant , or Calathea albertii will offer your home base the tropical feel , but with a wilder , less tamed personality , so , it is good suited to informal space . It is also one of the small-scale variety grown as houseplant .
Prayer Plants: Your Exotic Green Friends
Prayer plants have great decorative value with their awing leafage and sometimes even brilliantly slanted and strange bloom .
If you want a corner of the Amazon wood in your home or office , and if you do n’t have oodles of luminousness to offer , let one of these beautiful Calatheas make vibrancy and beauty for you , your folk and your guests !
publish By
Amber Noyes was born and raised in a suburban California town , San Mateo . She contain a master ’s degree in horticulture from the University of California as well as a BS in Biology from the University of San Francisco . With experience working on an organic farm , water conservation research , farmer ’ markets , and flora nursery , she understands what makes plants thrive and how we can better interpret the connection between microclimate and plant health . When she ’s not on the land , Amber loves informing people of new melodic theme / things related to horticulture , peculiarly organic gardening , houseplant , and growing plant in a minuscule distance .
