15” Calathea Beautiful Star

Calathea Beautiful Star

Among the most beautiful, low light plants, Calathea, also known as Prayer Plants, belong to the Marantaceae family, a species of flowering plants from tropical areas of America. In addition to their flowers, they are loved for their wide, green, colourful leaves.

Adopting and caring for your Calathea

Adopting: Adding a standout Calathea to a plant collection is a feeling only a true plant parent can understand. At eplants, we bring you display-ready plants with exceptional growth, compact shape and well-formed leaves

Locating: Most Prayer Plants require lower light than other popular plants. Darker the leaves, lower their light requirement, so locate them indoors, under shaded balconies or under the cover of other plants. Exposure to direct sunlight will lead to leaf burn and eventual death of the plant

Potting: Calathea love moist, although not wet soil. So having a 50:30:20 mixture of coco-peat, leaf-mould and sand will help them grow well

Watering: These plants dislike drying out, so water them two or three times a week. Do a finger test every day to check if the soil is too dry. If the leaves are droopy, the plant is thirsty and asking for water. Water generously and make sure the excess water drains off

Fertilising: If your potting mix is right, Calathea do not require much fertiliser. However, nourishing them with an organic liquid fertiliser two or three times a year will help them do well. If you are using a chemical mix, ensure that they don’t touch the leaves, or they will burn

In all, few plants can rival the beauty of a well-grown Calathea. The shape and colour of their leaves make them excellent foliage plants. If you are looking for an indoor plant in your home or office that thrives in low light conditions, Calathea is the plant for you. Ensure that they are not exposed to bright and direct sunlight

Did you know

A Calathea is also called the Prayer Plant because its leaves fold up at night like it is in prayer and open out when the sun rises.