Calathea 'Maria'

Glossy, patterned foliage in gorgeous green shades. In daylight they open full to display their beauty, and at night they fold their leaves. They are quite hardy and can flourish in low light.
Hailing from South and Central America as well as the West Indies, they do flower, but they pale in comparison to the foliage. The small spikes have little white bracts. Outdoors grow in a sheltered, shady position that is frost free.
Calathea are commonly known as Peacock Plants or Prayer Plants. Syn. Goeppertia roseopicta.
Is it speaking to me? Rolled in leaves mean they need more water. Brown edges are an indication of being too dry or not enough humidity. Pale, droopy leaves is a sign of too much water. Yellow leaves could be your tap water, use filtered water, or let your watering can stand overnight to allow the chlorine to evaporate.
Size: 20-50cm x 20-50cm can be kept smaller in lower light, with less watering and minimal pruning. Grows larger in higher light with more regular watering and by potting on to a larger container.
Water Needs: Average. Water well in spring/summer and only weekly to every other week in winter – they don’t like to be cold and wet. Ideally use filtered water/rain water/distilled water/allow tap water to sit over night as they can be a bit sensitive to the chemicals in tap water.
Calathea will grow best with some humidity. If live in a cold climate, your heating in winter might dry the plant out (leaf tips will turn brown or just drop off. You can provide some humidity for your beloved plant, by placing them over a plate with rocks and water, this will naturally form humidity around the plant. You can also spritz the leaves every so often, which will also help to keep them clean.
I will Survive: They grow best in a bright, indirect light – if you need a light to read by during the day in their position, it is too dark. Their ideal temperature range is 16-28C – they will of course cope outside this range but not for prolonged periods.
Add a diluted liquid fertiliser every other watering over spring/summer, just follow the directions on the pack. Look out for mealy bugs that can gather at the base of the stem, a cotton bud dipped in metho/clear alcohol will soon sort them out. Give the leaves a spruce up with a soft cloth or tissue if they become dusty. Snip out any spent or damaged leaves to keep your plant happy and healthy. You can just trim the damaged part too, then remove the leaf as the foliage bulks up. Repot every couple of years to renew vigour in the plant.

Supplied as: Pots
Size: 7.5 cm