How to grow beautiful calathea

Everything you need to know about the cultivation of Calathea can be found in our detailed grow guide.

Calatheeas are beautiful houseplants that are grown because of their breathtaking leaves. The tops of the leaves look like beautiful brush strokes – they are often artfully patterned, in many green tones. The underside of the leaves are often burgundy red.

This striking foliage has brought Calathea’s nickname, including the peacock plant, the cathedral window plant, the zebra plant and the rattling snake plant. Calatheeas are sometimes also referred to as a prayer plant, since they are closely related to the Maranta plant, which is also known as a prayer plant. In contrast to Maranta, however, they do not close their leaves at night. Many Calathea varieties were recently moved to the GOEPPERTIA genus so that they may now sell them under this name.

Calatheeas come from the forest floor of tropical rainforests, which gives a lot of indications of their care – they get along well with poor lighting conditions, but need a lot of moisture to thrive. You may notice that your Calathea moves your leaves all day long while aligning herself towards the light – something that has developed in her natural environment.

How to grow Calathea
Calatheas need special care to thrive. You need a consistently warm location and light, but indirect light – keep it away from direct sunlight. Keep the earth moist from spring to autumn and ensure some moisture by spraying the leaves every day or standing on a tray with damp pebbles. Calatheeas have to be watered with filtered or distilled water or rainwater – not with tap water.