Calathea Plants, native to tropical South and Central America, Africa, and the West Indies, are grown primarily for their beautiful, brightly colored, upright, oval leaves. There are over 300 different types of Calathea Plants, many being man-made hybrids created by tissue cultures. The various Calathea varieties have leaves with a purple undersides and various vibrant colorful patterns on the top side. Indoors, a Calathea is a table plant or short bush that rarely gets bigger than 24” tall and 24”-26” wide.
Light: A Calathea Plant likes bright indirect light; so placing it in front of an east, west, or north window is ideal. Too much direct sun burns the leaves of a Calathea Plant and causes the beautiful leaf colors to fade.
Water: Calathea Plants are very sensitive to the water you use. Hard water, soft water, fluoridated water, or water of poor quality causes the leaves of a Calathea Plant to turn brown from leaf burn. The best way to water a Calathea Plant is to use distilled water, rainwater, or allow your tap water to sit out overnight before using it. Keep the soil of a Calathea Plant moist but never soggy. Allow the top 2-3” to dry out before watering. Never let a Calathea Plant sit in water.
Temperatures: Calathea Plants like temperatures between 65-80 degrees, and do not like cold drafts or temperatures below 55-60 degrees. Hot temperatures cause the leaves of a Calathea Plant to curl.