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Calathea

Calatheas are grown for their leaves. Each one is painted in stripes, feathers or medallions of green, cream, pink and burgundy, and the leaves fold upward at night, which is why they are called prayer plants. They come from the rainforest floor, so they suit bright rooms away from direct sun and reward steady warmth and humidity. This range runs from tabletop varieties to the tall cigar plant for tropical gardens. Every plant is delivered Australia wide.

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How to choose a calathea

Choose by pattern and size. Medallion has broad round leaves marked like a feathered shield with burgundy undersides, and is one of the easiest to keep. The Peacock Plant (Calathea makoyana) is finer, with translucent windowed leaves. Rattlesnake Plant has long wavy leaves spotted in dark green and forgives a missed watering better than most. Pin Stripe and Rose Painted calatheas carry pink lines and blushes for a stronger statement, and the Zebra Plant gives bold velvety stripes at about 80cm. The cigar plant is the outlier: a 2.5m clump with paddle leaves, used outdoors for screening in tropical and subtropical gardens.

Where calatheas work

Indoors, place them in bright indirect light: near an east window, or back from a north one. Direct sun bleaches and scorches the pattern, while deep shade dulls it. Bathrooms and kitchens with good light suit them because of the humidity. They sit well with our other indoor plants, and several cope with the dimmer positions covered in low light indoor plants. Outdoors they grow in sheltered, shaded, frost free gardens.

Planting and spacing

Keep calatheas in a pot with drainage holes and a quality indoor potting mix. Repot one size up in spring only when roots fill the pot. In a tropical garden bed, plant in shade with compost and mulch, 50cm apart for the small varieties and 1m apart for cigar plant.

Care basics

Keep the mix evenly moist but never sodden: water when the top couple of centimetres feel dry. Brown leaf edges usually mean dry air or hard tap water, so group plants together, stand the pot on a tray of wet pebbles and use rainwater if you can. Feed monthly with a weak liquid fertiliser from spring to autumn. Wipe the leaves to keep the pattern bright. The calathea care guide has the detail.

Common questions

Why do calathea leaves curl?

Curling is usually thirst or too much direct light. Water thoroughly and move the plant out of the sun, and the leaves flatten within a day or two.

Do calatheas need a lot of light?

They need bright light without direct sun. A room where you can read comfortably during the day is about right.

Why do the leaves move at night?

Calatheas raise their leaves in the evening and lower them in the morning. It is a natural daily rhythm and a sign of a healthy plant.

How often should I water a calathea?

Usually once a week in the warm months and less in winter. Check the top of the mix with a finger rather than watering by the calendar.