Indoor plants Calathea
Description
Characteristic Features of Calathea
Calathea is a genus of perennial rhizomatous herbaceous plants native to the tropical forests of Central and South Americas and currently classified as belonging to the maranta family Marantaceae. The number of species in the genus is somewhat vague. Some sources claim that Calathea is the largest genus in the family (some 150 species out of 400), while others modestly limit it to 25.
Almost all varieties of Calatheas are popular with plant enthusiasts due to their decorative foliage. The leaves on thin stems are beautiful, large, intricately patterned, varied, and original. However, two species with showy flowers are known:
- Calathea warschewizii with bright (white, cream, or pink) originally shaped flowers collected in spikelets. The leaves are also very attractive, velvety, oval, dark green, with a clear burgundy (dark purple) underside and a light green fishbone pattern on the upperside of the leaves.
- Saffron-coloured Calathea, or Calathea crocata, grows up to 60 centimetres tall with large (20-30 centimetres long) dark green leaves and showy bright orange flowerheads. It needs a short day for flowering (maximum 8 to 10 hours) and blooms in the autumn, winter, or early spring. The leaf underside is dark red (or rather, maroon brown).
Since the Greek word "Kalathos" means "basket", it is believed that the ancient Greeks used to weave baskets from the Calathea leaves. This is an obvious anachronism. Europeans discovered Calathea in the Brazilian riverside thickets at least in the 16th century A.D. while Ancient Greece (Hellas) existed in the 11th to 2nd centuries BC. Fancy trying making a basket from Calathea?
Here is an alphabetized list of domesticated ornamental deciduous Calathea species:
- Calathea bachemiana is the most unpretentious species in the genus. This is a stemless plant up to 40 centimetres tall. Oblong lanceolate leaves 15-25 centimetres long and 3-9 centimetres wide are heart-shaped at the base and tapered to the tip. They are greenish silvery white with dark green spots along the midrib or a dark green border around the edges on the upper surface. On the underside, the leaves are solid green or whitish green.
- Calathea veitchiana reaches 90 centimetres in height. Its strong glossy oval leaves 20-30 centimetres long and 10-15 centimetres wide are pointed at tips and slightly heart-shaped at the base. They demonstrate an interesting colouring, dark green with light yellow green on the upperside and a reddish background with light yellow stripes on the underside.
- Calathea insignis, or Calathea lancifolia, grows to half a metre tall and is a one of the most unpretentious indoor Calatheas. Its erect leaves 45-50 centimetres long are very narrow, light green with a symmetrical pattern of large and small patches of oval dark green spots. The underside is dark red or purple similar to many other species in the genus.
- Calathea zebrina can reach 80 centimetres in height. This is a sturdy plant with a basal rosette of large (30-40 centimetres long and 10-16 centimetres wide) elliptic velvety leaves on long (up to half a metre) thick fleshy stems. The upper surface of the leaves is rich bright green featuring wide dark green stripes with distinct edges coming out from the light midrib. The underside is purple, reddish, or (mostly in young plants) dark reddish purple or purple-violet. The species is adapted to warm room environment.
- Calathea Maui Queen has an interesting mix of pale and dark greens in the leaf colouring.
- Calathea formosum is very similar to Calathea zebrina but the leaves only grow to 10 centimetres long. The foliage is pale green with wide green stripes on the upperside and the purple underside.
- Calathea orbifolia has round leaves with a sailor vest pattern, dark green and light green stripes have approximately the same width.
- Calathea leopardina is a stemless plant 40-50 centimetres tall. The leaves are 10-12 centimetres long and 3-5 centimetres wide, elliptical lanceolate, with oblong dark green spots bordering on a central vein and a light green background;
- Calathea lietzei reaches 50-60 centimetres in height and can form thick shrubs. The basal leaves are thin elongated ovals 12-15 centimetres long and 5-7 centimetres wide.
The bright green upperside has a metallic glint; the dark green stripes are so broad that it is difficult to say whether they make a background or a pattern. The underside is violet red or purple with a distinct touch of lilac colouring. This very ornamental variety is called Green Star.
- Calathea lubbersii is known for at least two unusual features. First, its foliage has asymmetric yellow and green spots on the upper surface of the leaves, in contrast to the majority of other varieties that have symmetrical patterns. Second, it has green undersides, while other varieties have magenta undersides.
- Calathea macoyana does not love misting and tolerates artificial lighting, which makes the plant perfect for indoor cultivation. It typically grows to be 30-60 centimetres tall (maximum 150). The leaves are thin and wide oval, pointed to the tips, 10-20 centimetres long and 8-12 centimetres wide, with long (up to 14 centimetres) straight petioles. The petioles have "wings" that quickly wither. The upper surface of leaves is bright green on a bright white background and visually looks silver green. It is adorned with random variously sized reddish spots and oblong dark green stripes closer to the midrib. The same pattern can be seen on the magenta underside.
- Calathea picturata has light-coloured leaves with a wide dark green rim and thin, long, and dark petioles.
- Calathea roseopicta is compact but very showy. It has broad oval green leaves with a pink midrib and distinctive clear pink lines starting from it (unfortunately, they fade over time). The underside is dark pink.
- Calathea rufibarba is high maintenance and has to be grown in greenhouses rather than in regular household conditions. It does not like misting but can get mites if air humidity is too low. In low light, the leaves grow small on a leggy stalk, which makes the plant unattractive. The underside of the oblong leaves are bright maroon (or purple maroon) in variety Wavestar; in variety Blue Grass the underside is green and petioles are fluffy, which caused this "purely male" name (rufibarba = red-bearded). The leaf edges are slightly wavy. There is no pattern on the upper side; the underside can be in different shades from light green to dark green.
- Calathea ornata is characterized by a height of 50-60 centimetres. That's pretty low compared to the size of oval leaves that grow up to 40 centimetres long and 15 centimetres wide. The upper side of the leaves is dark green (bright colours faded over time) and ornated with narrow white and pink lines along the veins. The stripes also fade over time. The underside is dark purple. There are several varieties with varied shapes and leaf sizes, basic background and stripe colouring on the upper surface, underside colouring, and the length of petioles.
All kinds of Calatheas do not tolerate tobacco smoke. Quit smoking!
Many varieties fold their leaves in the evening and show underside as if saying good night. In the morning, the leaves unfold. They also rise and droop before rain and turn to the light source, like a sunflower.
Lots of Calathea species have stolons and tubers. They are important parts of the root system that develop radial (approximately horizontal) roots. Roots develop short shoots with leaves (often single).
The Secrets to Successful Growing Calathea
Calatheas are believed to thrive in the intense light. However, exposure to the sun in the south-facing window is not the best solution because foliage colour fades. Place Calathea 1-2 metres from the eastern or northern exposure window or shade it from the scorching midday sun. Remember, if the light is too low, it will be difficult for the plant to get back to the normal leaf colour.
Keep the soil moist but not waterlogged. Use soft warm water. Water plentifully in the spring and summer and decrease the amount of water in the winter.
High air humidity is beneficial. Put the pot on a tray of moist moss, sand, or expanded clay. Not all Calatheas like regular misting. Make sure to check first if your variety needs misting. You may need to mist the surrounding air rather the plant.
The best temperatures are 20-25 ° C in the summer and 16-18 ° C in the winter (October to February).
Calatheas do not tolerate wind, whether stable drafts or single strong gusts.
Feed the plant using special foliage compound fertilizer every 2 weeks.
Repot the plant in the spring or summer every year (or at least once every two years). Calathea's root system is shallow so choose a wide pot. Be careful not to harm the tubers. Use a mixture of garden soil and pine mold at 2: 1. If the potting mixture is too heavy, add river sand or vermiculite.
The soil should be weak acidic (pH = 5.0-6.0). Make sure the soil does not contain lime as Calathea does not tolerate it. You can also try another mix: leaf mold, peat, and sand at 2:3:1.
Calatheas are propagated at the spring by dividing the root ball so that each part has at least one tuber, 2-3 horizontal offsets, and a few vertical shoots with leaves.
Calathea can also be propagated by seed.
The plant does not need pruning.
Potential Problems
If the light is too bright, the leaf blades lose their colour (fade) and gradually get smaller. In the direct sunlight, the leaves develop burns (brown spots).
If the leaves shrivel and get covered by ugly spots, this indicates insufficient watering. If the ground is too wet, and in addition, there are abrupt fluctuations in temperatures, the root system and tubers can get rot.
High air humidity at low temperatures it will also cause rot. Underwatering makes leaves shrivel and their edges turn brown and dry.
If the leaf tips dry out and Calathea's growth slows down, the reason is too dry air and / or unsuitable soil.
If the leaf tips turn yellow and brown, this indicates wrong feeding (either small or large compared with the optimum).
Calathea can get spider mites and scale insects, sometimes whiteflies.
