Pocket BotanistPlant guide
Calathea.
Calathea
Pronounced go-ep-PER-tee-uh
Also known as Calathea, prayer plants
Calatheas are beautiful tropical plants known for their stunning, patterned foliage that moves throughout the day. They bring a touch of the rainforest into your home with their vibrant colors. These plants are quite popular, though they can be a bit particular about their environment.
At a glance
- Care level
- Difficult
- Plant type
- Tropical perennial
- Light
- Bright indirect light is best.
- Indoor light
- Medium light
- Water
- Every 5 to 10 days
- Mature size
- 2 to 3 feet
- Growth rate
- Medium
- Hardiness
- USDA 10 to 12
- Bloom time
- Rarely blooms indoors, but occasionally in summer.
Care
Keep your plant in a spot with high humidity and consistent moisture to prevent leaf edges from browning. Watch for curling leaves, which often signal that the plant needs more humidity or water. Avoid placing them in direct sunlight, as it can fade their beautiful patterns.
- Watering
- Keep the soil consistently moist but never soggy.
- Feeding
- Feed with a balanced liquid fertilizer during the growing season.
- Pruning
- Trim away any yellow or damaged leaves at the base.
- Repotting
- Repot when the roots begin to fill the container.
- Soil
- Well draining peat based mix
- Soil pH
- 6.0 to 6.5
- Temperature
- 15 to 27°C
- Humidity
- 60 to 90%
- Drought tolerance
- Low
- Lifespan
- Perennial, typically 3 to 5 years indoors.
- Deer and rabbits
- Moderate
Signs it needs repotting
- Roots growing out of the drainage holes.
- Water running straight through the soil without soaking in.
Safety
- People
- The plant is non-toxic to humans, though ingestion is not recommended.
- Pets
- These plants are non-toxic to cats and dogs.
- Children
- The leaves are not harmful to children, but keep them away from small parts of the soil or pot.
- Edibility
- This plant is not considered edible and may cause stomach upset if ingested.
How to identify it
- Large oval leaves with intricate patterns
- Deep purple undersides on many varieties
- Leaves fold up at night
- Distinctive leaf veins and markings
- Height
- 0.3 to 0.9m
- Spread
- 0.3 to 0.6m
- Leaves
- green, purple, silver, pink, evergreen
- Flowers
- white, yellow, purple, 2 to 5cm
Problems to watch for
- Brown Leaf EdgesCommon
- Leaf SpotCommon
- Spider MitesCommon
- Fungus GnatsUncommon
- MealybugsUncommon
- Root RotUncommon
By symptom
Check your calathea from a photo
Pocket Botanist looks at a photo of your plant and tells you what's wrong and what to try first.
Growing it
- Propagation
- division
- When to plant
- spring, summer
- Overwintering
- Keep the plant in a warm room away from cold drafts or heating vents. Maintain high humidity throughout the winter months.
- In containers
- They grow very well in containers, provided the pot has drainage holes and is at least 15 cm wide.
Division
- Gently remove the plant from its pot.
- Separate the root ball into sections with at least one healthy leaf.
- Repot each section into fresh, well-draining soil.
Group these plants together to create a microclimate that boosts ambient humidity.
Grows well with
- Fern — They share similar requirements for high humidity and indirect light.
- Peace Lily — They thrive in the same tropical, low light conditions.
Similar species
- Maranta — They are closely related and share the same prayer plant behavior.
- Stromanthe — They have similar foliage patterns and care needs.
Science
- Family
- Marantaceae
- Genus
- Calathea
- Order
- Zingiberales
- Class
- Liliopsida
- Native range
- Tropical Americas.
- Conservation
- Many species are threatened by habitat loss in their native tropical rainforests.
They grow in the deep shade of tropical rainforests where they rely on high humidity and stable temperatures.
- Value to wildlife
- nectar source
- Pollinators
- bees
- Uses
- indoor ornamental, air purification
Through the year
Ecological indicators
- Salinity
- 1/9
- Soil reaction
- 5/9
- Light
- 2/9
- Moisture
- 7/9
- Temperature
- 8/9
- Nutrients
- 5/9
Taxonomy resolved against GBIF.
Questions people ask
- Why are my leaf edges turning brown?
- This is usually a sign of low humidity or chemical sensitivity to tap water.
- How often should I water?
- Keep the soil consistently moist but never soggy.
Where the name comes from
The name comes from the Greek word kalathos, meaning basket, referring to the use of the leaves in weaving.
Good to know
- They are part of the Marantaceae family.
- The patterns on the leaves are meant to mimic the dappled light of the rainforest floor.
- They are sensitive to chemicals in tap water like fluoride.
Also in
Keep your calathea growing
This page is a general guide. Save your plant in Pocket Botanist and you get care reminders timed for this plant, plus a care history that shows what worked.
This guide was generated with AI and checked against GBIF taxonomy. It is general information, not horticultural or veterinary advice. Read about how we build these guides.