Freddie Calathea

Freddie Calathea (Calathea concinna 'Freddie') is the one to choose when you want patterned foliage in a home with pets. It forms a clump about 60cm tall and 60cm wide, with light green leaves ruled by fine dark zebra striping. Like all calatheas it is non toxic to cats and dogs, which rules out most of the competition in the same visual bracket.

Why you'll love it

• Genuinely safe around pets. Calathea is not toxic to cats or dogs, so it can sit at floor level in a house where things get chewed.
• The leaf pattern does the work. Fine dark bars over pale green give it more presence than a plain foliage plant at the same size.
• It moves. The leaves lift in the evening and lower by morning, which is why the family is known as prayer plants.
• It stays a sensible size. At 60cm each way it suits a side table or a plant stand without taking over the room.

Where it works best

Indoors, in filtered light. A position a metre or two back from a bright window is ideal. Direct sun bleaches the pattern out, which is the fastest way to lose what you bought it for.

Bathrooms and kitchens. These rooms hold the humidity a calathea wants, and it will look better there than in a dry, air conditioned living room.

As a potted feature. A single plant in a 250mm to 300mm decorative pot carries a corner or a bench top on foliage alone.

Growing Freddie Calathea in Australia

Position and climate. Grow it indoors anywhere in the country. It is frost tender, so outdoors it needs a frost free tropical or subtropical garden in a shaded, sheltered spot. Inside, your climate stops mattering, which is the practical answer for most southern gardeners.

Soil. A quality indoor potting mix that holds some moisture without staying soggy. The pot must have a drainage hole. Repot every two years in spring, going up one pot size at a time.

Water and humidity. Keep the mix lightly moist, never wet and never bone dry, which usually means a drink once the top two centimetres feel dry. Calatheas react to hard tap water with brown leaf edges, so rainwater or filtered water gives better results. Sit the pot on a tray of pebbles and water to lift local humidity.

Feeding and grooming. Half strength liquid fertiliser monthly through spring and summer, nothing in winter. Trim damaged leaves off at the base rather than cutting the tips.

What to expect when it arrives

This one is grown in tube stock. Tubes are young plants with a handful of leaves, and they fill a 200mm pot within a season or two of steady care, so you are buying a plant to grow on rather than an instant feature.

Calatheas travel with their leaves folded upright and may look tired for a week. Pot it up, water it in, and give it a fortnight in filtered light before judging it. Delivered Australia wide, delivery from $29.95, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Read how to keep your indoor plants alive for the watering and light mistakes behind most failures.
• Browse the full pet friendly indoor plants range.
• Compare more house and indoor plants on the same care schedule.

Common questions

Is it safe if my cat chews it?

Yes. Calathea is not toxic to cats or dogs, so a chewed leaf is a problem for the plant rather than the pet.

Why are the leaf edges turning brown?

Usually dry air or minerals in tap water. Move it away from heating and air conditioning vents, switch to rainwater or filtered water, and lift humidity around the pot.

How much light does it need?

Bright but filtered. It tolerates moderate light with slower growth, but direct sun through glass fades the striping and scorches the leaf.

Can I grow it outdoors?

Only in frost free tropical and subtropical gardens, and only in shade with shelter from wind. Everywhere else it is an indoor plant.