Peacock Plant Calathea

Peacock Plant Calathea (Calathea roseopicta 'Illustris') is grown for one thing: the leaves. Broad oval foliage is painted with pale feathering along the midrib and flushed deep purple underneath, and the plant sits at about 50cm tall and 50cm across. It is not toxic to cats or dogs, one of the safer choices for a home with animals.

Why you'll love it

• Foliage that looks painted. Each leaf carries pale feathering over dark green, with a purple reverse that shows when light comes from behind.
• The leaves move. It raises them at night and lowers them by day, so the plant visibly changes shape.
• Genuinely pet safe. Not toxic to cats or dogs, which rules it in where most fashionable indoor plants are ruled out.
• It wants the shady corner. Low to medium indirect light suits it, so it works where sun loving plants stretch and fade.
• Compact and self contained. At around 50cm each way it fills a side table without crowding a room.

Where it works best

Indoors. This is where it belongs. Bathrooms and kitchens are the standout positions, because humidity from a shower or a kettle is what the plant wants and rarely gets elsewhere.

Pots and containers. Use a pot 200mm to 250mm wide with a drainage hole. Grouping plants together raises the humidity around all of them, the simplest fix for crisp leaf edges.

Sheltered balconies. In tropical and subtropical gardens it can live outdoors in deep shade, out of wind and direct sun. Anywhere frost occurs, keep it inside.

Growing Peacock Plant Calathea in Australia

Position and climate. Bright indirect light or part shade. Direct sun bleaches the pattern and burns the leaf edges within days. Outdoors it is limited to frost free tropical and subtropical gardens in full shade.

Soil. A quality indoor potting mix opened up with perlite or coarse bark so it drains freely while holding moisture. The pot needs a drainage hole, and the saucer must be tipped out after watering.

Water and humidity. Keep the mix lightly and evenly moist, never wet and never bone dry. Two things catch people out: it is sensitive to the fluoride and chlorine in tap water, and it hates dry air. Use filtered water and stand the pot on damp pebbles.

Feeding and grooming. Half strength liquid fertiliser monthly through spring and summer, nothing over winter. Cut damaged leaves off at the base rather than trimming partway.

What to expect when it arrives

We grow it in 125mm pots sold in packs of ten, which suits a group planting, a shelf, or an order split with friends. Each plant arrives as an established young clump of several leaves, ready to be potted into a 200mm decorative pot.

Calathea foliage is soft and travels bundled, so expect the leaves to look folded and tired when you open the box. Water once, put the plant somewhere bright and indirect and out of any draught, and it will lift within days. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Expect a month of settling before new leaves unfurl. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to keep your indoor plants alive
• Browse pet friendly indoor plants
• Compare the full indoor plant range
• Why variegated foliage behaves differently

Common questions

Is it safe for cats and dogs?

Yes. Calatheas are not toxic to cats or dogs, so a chewed leaf is a problem for the plant rather than the animal. That makes it one of the few large leaved indoor plants suitable for a home with pets.

Why are the leaf edges going brown and crisp?

Almost always dry air or the minerals in tap water. Raise humidity with a pebble tray and switch to filtered water. Existing damage will not heal, so trim those leaves at the base.

How often should I water it?

Whenever the top two centimetres of mix feel dry, usually once or twice a week in summer and less in winter. Sitting in water rots the roots faster than drying out.